Donald Duck and The Black Cauldron
by Master Pencil
Summary: Donald is sent to a land forgotten by most in the Disney community, the mystic land of Prydain. There he must face rough warriors, tricky witches, and a spooky skeletal king to get back home as a long lost movie returns.
1. Chapter 1 Donald in Prydain

**Donald Duck and The Black Cauldron**

**By Master Pencil**

On a typical night at the gathering place of all things Disney, everything was going great for the visitors. Everyone watched cartoons, The Quack-Street Boys performed, and there were no problems or disputes to disturb it. Things were going just normal for one group of visitors as well, but that didn't mean that they were satisfied with it. In fact, it was a state of normal they wished they never had. They were left out more than anyone else.

At the farthest reaches of the grand dining hall of House of Mouse right behind Willie the Giant and sitting at the corner were a group of adventurers from a faraway kingdom. A boy with red hair and a British accent sat chatting here with his companions dressed in yellow and brown work clothes. A girl with blond hair sat near him with a casual dress, trying to look around Willie so she could see. An old man with a small harp sat across from them and a dog-like creature was on the floor nibbling an apple. All of them looked simply lonely. None of the characters paid them any attention.

"I wonder why we even bother coming here," Taran said in disappointment. "It's obvious that we're not wanted."

"Don't be silly Taran," Elionwy tried to assure him. "It's not like we are bad or anything."

"Maybe not us, but our movie wasn't!" Fflewddur said. "Why, I bet we would be right up there with the classics had it been a success!"

"We shouldn't be here," Taran said sadly. "All of those days dreaming of being a famous warrior were all for nothing."

"Now don't dwell in despair now!" Fflewddur tried to tell him when he bowed his head in shame. "You're a warrior through and through!"

His lyre broke a string once he said that. Taran still lowered his eyes in deeper gloom.

"Now you be quiet now," Fflewddur told his lyre.

While a cartoon on the big screen was playing, Donald Duck was going outside the studio when he noticed a strange sight in the far corner of the chamber. He saw the strange group of characters sitting there in lonely sprits. Now that was strange, he never saw any members of House of Mouse look like that before. It felt odd to him that those people would look that way when this club was about fun. They certainly didn't look familiar to him, but he still had to help them out since they were guests. It was a duty for everyone at this club to feel welcomed, why weren't these guests?

Unfortunately, Donald wasn't looking where he was walking and he stumbled into Pete. He dropped to the floor as Pete stared at him bitterly.

"Oh, sorry about…Pete!" exclaimed Donald.

"Watch where you're goin' next time!" complained Pete. "What are you lookin' at anyway?"

"Those guests over there," Donald said, pointing at the group. "They look all lonely and sad."

Pete took a look at them and gave a hearty laugh when he recognized them. Pete was always known to be mean-spirited, but there was something about his laugh that sounded belittling. It upset Donald that he would do that to those poor guests. What a big bully.

"Don't pay any attention to those guys!" Pete chuckled. "The Black Cauldron is the worst movie ever made!"

"Oh yeah?" said Donald a little miffed. "What makes it so bad?"

"You mean you don't remember?" Pete replied. "It took a lot of money to make it because it used all of those flashy special effects, and when it came out it barely skimmed over twenty million! Talk about a big-time bomb!"

"Why did it bomb?" Donald asked.

Donald could care little for the gross amount of money. The movie did sound familiar to him, but it had been so long ago that he could barely remember its characters. That was unsettling, because what if Mickey didn't remember it well? That would be the worst thing to happen to any Disney movie or character. Maybe if it did bomb, that might of explained why they were down. Success was treated like a requirement at Disney most of the time.

"It's two letters pal, PG," Pete said. "It was the first Disney movie to get that rating. Because of that rating, kids stayed away because it's scary!"

"Scary?" Donald muttered. "It was scary?"

"You know nothin' about it huh?" Pete replied with a laugh. "Those characters come from a place you'd never want to see! It's a big, scary kingdom of war and fighting! It's a land filled with scary monsters, creepy dragons, tough guy warriors, freaky witches, and a zombie-like skeleton king to scare the daylights out of ya!

"Wow, that is scary!" said Donald, trembling at the sound of the evil creatures Pete told.

The cartoon had ended by now and the audience applauded. With her efforts to watch the show fruitless, Elionwy lowered back down to the chair with disappointment. It was at that moment that Fflewddur saw Donald and Pete staring at them. He gave them a wave, but Pete simply turned away from them in defiance. Only Donald gave a wave back. It felt good to show them a little niceness even if they came from somewhere scary.

"Don't you dare wave at those losers!" Pete grumbled. "The Black Cauldron sucks!"

"So?" quacked Donald. "I need to show them some respect!"

"They've never had respect!" said Pete with venom in his words. "If you ever bothered to remember a thing about them, you would know that they were booed when they first met the other Disney characters back when their new movie crashed!"

With that, Pete stomped away from Donald. Hurt, Donald decided to meet The Black Cauldron characters as everyone else had dinner time. Gurgi, Fflewddur, and Elionwy lightened up instantly when they saw one of the greatest Disney characters coming to them, but Taran remained as depressed as ever. To be in a movie that had a long development and only fall in the end broke his heart.

"Hello everyone!" greeted Donald. "Can I help ya out on anything?"

"No sir, your visit was exactly what we needed!" said Fflewddur.

"Gurgi glad to see you!" said Gurgi with cheer.

"Look Taran, Donald Duck is here to see us!" Elionwy told him.

He raised his head to face Donald, but it certainly wasn't the warm smile everyone else was giving Donald. He gave Donald a bitter glare that only meant that he was tired of it all. What was the duck thinking? Did he really have the nerve to just show up and give them some attention after all those years of being forgotten? Was he just now finally noticing his frustration? Why not twenty five years ago? So many questions floated around him that he had enough and jumped up from his chair as though he was ready to fight. This quick action startled Donald.

"Oh, so you're just now noticing us?" he said angrily. "Where was Mickey Mouse this time? I demand answers!"

"Taran!" exclaimed Elionwy. "Please don't be so forceful! This is Donald Duck!"

"The famous Donald Duck alright," he sneered. "You have it easy do you? You know nothing about how it feels to be forgotten?"

"Now wait just a minute!" Donald said irritably. "I was just trying to be nice here!"

Donald Duck and Taran were scrutinizing each other heavily, glaring with contempt. A large argument could have started if it wasn't for the closing of the club. Throngs of characters were now leaving the House. Taran noticed the departure and decided to leave himself.

"Come on Elionwy, we're wasting time," he mumbled. "It's now totally obvious we are not wanted here!"

"You could be if you just moved on from the past!" Donald called to him as he walked away.

Taran stopped and smiled faintly. This duck did not realize how bad living under the shadow of failure was. He turned to Donald with one more look.

"Tell that to Mickey Mouse," he told him.

And that was it for the feud. Elionwy and the others followed Taran with sad faces. Gurgi gave Donald a wave and Fflewddur wanted to say something to Donald but Taran was walking ahead too bitterly. Outside, the disheartened boy kicked a lone stick across the sidewalk and continued to trudge on, ignoring Elionwy's pleading calls.

"Well, that didn't turn out so good," Donald sighed.

In lower sprits himself, he decided to catch Mickey and explain everything that happened. The famous mouse was busy cleaning up the studio to leave when he saw Donald approach him. Confused to see him saddened, Mickey came up to Donald with concern in his eyes.

"What's wrong Donald?" he asked him. "Something happened out there?"

"Yeah," Donald said. "I was just trying to be nice to some guests, and one of them got mad at me."

"Oh, really?" replied Mickey. "Who was it?"

"Some boy named…Taran?" Donald said uncertainly.

Weird, how did that name sound familiar? Mickey could instantly peep out the names of Disney characters in a jiffy, but this one actually made him think. Taran, sounded like a hero of some kind. Definitely wasn't a character from the Walt years or the Disney Renaissance. Not in the so called, "Fab Four" that was for sure. Not even mentioned in the films of the turn of the century. It didn't sound like a character from the 70's as well. Gosh, who was this boy? All that was left was the 80's and that was when the thought struck Mickey's head. He was from The Black Cauldron!

"He's here?" he exclaimed. "Why, did he just come here tonight?"

"Nope, he and his pals have always been here," said Donald. "He says they're always ignored."

"Oh no, this can't be happening," Mickey said with dread. "I actually forgot a Disney character!"

"No you didn't Mickey, you still had him in your mind somewhere!" Donald told him.

"Yeah, but I don't remember him as well as I should!" said Mickey. "Oh, I've gotta go see him myself!"

Mickey Mouse quickly left the studio to try to catch The Black Cauldron characters, but they were long gone by now. The street outside House of Mouse was as quiet as ever, and not a single toon was out and about at this time. Worried, Mickey returned to Donald and shook his head, embarrassed that he did this to a Disney character.

"Was he really that mad?" Mickey asked him disheartingly.

"Yeah, he was mad," Donald admitted. "I've just got a bad feeling he won't come back to House of Mouse anymore."

"Well, I can see his point now," Mickey said with lowered eyes. "The Black Cauldron didn't do so good at all. But trust me Donald, I'll go right up to him and give him the same Mickey greeting I give all the other guys! That's what I'm supposed to do ya know?"

"What if he still doesn't come?" said Donald. "Then what are we gonna do?"

"Then I'll go straight to the land he lives in!" Mickey vowed. "I'll go and see him in…what's that land called Donald?"

"I don't know," said Donald, gloom settling on both on them.

The land that both of them failed to remember was the mystic land of Prydain, and it was close to the scariness that Pete described. A giant castle towered above the kingdom the next morning, silent and foreboding. It stood strong and defiant, formidable and intimidating. Inside this massive castle was a network of gloomy dungeons and stone hallways, and large, hairy men with axes and swords stomped around these halls, grunting and lumbering along like they were half-beast. Small dragons with red and green eyes coiled around the torches and walls like snakes. In one chamber was the pub, where men with beer were dancing and partying. Another chamber was where the men went to lounge and gorge. However, there was a throne room where the master of the castle roamed, thinking dark thoughts as he walked along the room silently and slowly.

"The cauldron," he groaned. "The cauldron must be mine. I will not rest until I claim it."

His feet shuffled along the floor soundlessly, his robes brushing the floor smoothly. His face was sunken, for it was that of a skull's with dark eyes scanning the dark room intently as though waiting for something to arrive. His teeth glowered and his decayed arms were folded loosely. Only his dark mind was busy working.

"The boy, the one who went to the club," he said. "He knows the way."

He paced back and forth. The club was always folly to him. He went to it one day and never went again. It had too much fun, too many fools, and not very good service. He could get all of that here with his own dark club and pub. What a strange, foolish time that was. Only his goblin would go to a place like that. But the boy was there.

"I will find that boy," he vowed. "I shall take him and his pig, and then the cauldron will be mine."

When the House of Mouse met again later on, Mickey and Donald searched eagerly for Taran or the other characters in his group, but they were nowhere to be seen. It looked like maybe they did decide to not go after all. Well, now Mickey would have to go and apologize.

The next day, Mickey Mouse went home, got his stuff, and said good-bye to Minnie. The famous mouse was now going on a trip to the land of The Black Cauldron to visit Taran and the other characters. Donald, Goofy, and Minnie stood outside Mickey's house as they waved at him leaving in his car.

"I sure hope he gets there just fine," said Goofy. "Think you could've went, Donald?"

"Nah," he said. "I think I would mess up the whole trip anyway. I already tried to make things right once."

A day went and passed, and there was no word of Mickey. He would get to any Disney world in no time. It wasn't until the third or fourth day that Minnie and company started to wonder. Their worry wouldn't be raised until Donald saw a sight that only meant trouble.

A small, hunched figure skipped and hopped to the mailbox. It appeared to be happy about something, for it was laughing and cackling obnoxiously. It annoyed Donald so much that he went outside and stomped out to it.

"What's the big idea here?" he complained. "Whoa!"

The creature was a goblin. He stared at the duck with big eyes, but it then started to cackle. The goblin was clad in a small blue handkerchief and he had a bigger eye than the other one. His big jaw moved up and down like a bat's as he laughed at Donald.

"What's so funny?" he quacked. "And what's that you got there?"

Donald snatched the dirty letter from the goblin, and Donald's eyes went wide when he saw the first sentence.

_We have seized your mouse. You will not get him back until you help me in finding the cauldron. Should you resist, your friend shall be slain. I have now known of your search for the boy, and now that I have taken your companion, you will lead me to him yourself. Aid me in my search, Donald Duck._

The letter wasn't signed, but Donald knew that it came from the boss of this annoying goblin. Donald stared at the underling with renewed anger. How dare these palookas try to kidnap Mickey Mouse himself? Now this goblin's going to know that messing with Donald Duck is a big no-no.

"We've got the mouse! We've got the mouse!" Creeper said with mad laughter. "And we're not gonna give him back until you take us to the cauldron! Yeah, that's right! So right! You're gonna take us, and then we can rule the world! Oh Yes!"

"I don't think so!" exclaimed Donald. "I don't know who this guy is, but he'll have to mess with Donald Duck now!"

He kicked Creeper aside and waddled off to the horizon himself. Now that adventure was calling for Donald, he had to take the call and find Mickey. Maybe he can also solve this dispute and beat up this villain that's holding him captive too. Soon all the papers around Toontown will report Mickey's disappearance, and now it will be up to him to take him back so everyone can have fun again. Donald never noticed that Creeper beckoned a group of warriors hiding in the bushes to advance

Before Donald could get out a quack, a bag was shoved over him. He instantly started quacking gibberish to make noise and jump so madly that even the muscle-bound men had a rough time holding on. Creeper aided them by holding the bottom of the bag and tying it swiftly. Donald was now a rumbling bag of fury. The men and Creeper dashed away into the brush before the neighborhood could hear what just happened.

"Let me go! Let me go ya big palookas!" Donald quacked constantly.

Hearty laughter and cackling answered him. For what seemed like hours, Donald was bulging up and down in his dark bag, boiling mad the whole time. He would love to put a whooping on these palookas so much. If only he hadn't have taken that goblin's bait. At any rate, he was still taken to something in the outside world that was making bone-chilling screeching noises. One of the men hoisted Donald up on the monster's back and took to the skies. Donald was now riding on the back of one of the men's dragons.

The bag was very tough, so Donald had no choice but to ride it out while he was still smoldering. These guys had better take him to Mickey, it would be the only way they could. Their boss definitely didn't make this search much of an offer for him.

The men and the dragon took Donald Duck to Prydain and straight to their master's castle. Once there, they took him deep into the dank, dark dungeons where water dripped and torches lit. One of the men finally took Donald out, trying to avoid his punches, and flung him in a cell. The door was shut immediately before he could pounce on his kidnappers.

"Come in here!" Donald exclaimed. "I'll knock ya all out!"

But the men only left him with more ridiculing laughter. Growling, he looked around and spotted Mickey over in the corner. He was a lot better now that he saw that Donald was with him. Mickey had drove around to see any information about the land where the characters lived. He saw a large man wandering along the road and decided to ask him since he appeared to be from such a kingdom far away. Mickey was unlucky, for he stumbled into a cronie and was taken to the dungeon he and Donald were in now.

"Donald!" he said. "Oh, how glad I am to see you."

"Nice to see you too!" he replied. "How are we gonna get out of this place?"

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," said Mickey. "It's that Horned King that's really stumping me!"

"Horned King?" said Donald confused. "Is that the boss of these palookas?"

"Yep," said Mickey. "I remember everything now. The Horned King is by far the meanest, scariest villain around! I bet the reason why he has a problem with me is because Disney has forgotten about The Black Cauldron. The last time he went to House of Mouse, he tried to sit with Maleficent and The Queen, but they wouldn't let him sit with them because they said that although he's a Disney Villain, his movie was a failure. He's been even crankier since then, and he still wants that black cauldron too. I think that's why he's all mad now."

So maybe Taran wasn't the only one upset over not getting attention. It's one thing to have a character be upset, but a villain is something much worse. Now that Donald was thinking, he slowly began to remember this character too. What came in his head first were the cauldron, and then the horns, and then the skull face. Oh no, it can't be that palooka!

"Mickey," said Donald with fear.

"Yeah, Donald?" he replied.

"We're in big trouble," said Donald.

Big trouble indeed, for The Horned King now stood looking out the window toward Prydain, but he was looking futher than that.

"The cauldron will be mine," he said. "And when it is mine, I will destroy not just this land, but all of the others as well! The Cauldron Born shall spread death and ruin to all! Then they will rue the day that they have forgotten me…and the movie."


	2. Chapter 2 The Pigboy

Chapter 2 The Pigboy

Time was going slow in The Horned King's dungeon. Donald and Mickey were now sitting around in relative boredom and confusion. The dungeon was so silent and still that only the dripping of water and the cracking of torches could be heard. Besides sharing suspicions, the two Disney icons were otherwise sleepy over the dullness of being prisoners. Mickey had been long asleep for a half-hour, but Donald sat at his spot in bitterness.

Both of them were roused when the hard stomping of boots came to their cell. One of the shaggy men opened the door and quickly seized Donald just as he started squabbling. Two other men with chains latched them on Donald's arms and legs with much difficulty. Mickey tired to come to Donald's aid, but he was also taken as well.

"The king wants to see you!' grumbled the man holding Donald.

They were taken to a large room where The Horned King sat contently on a stone throne, sipping his wine in a gold goblet. Here came Donald at his feet flailing and squabbling with harshness. The men took pleasure in witnessing his frustration, but the skeletal king shuddered irritably by how ridiculous he sounded.

"Bring him before me," he ordered, and the spookiness in his voice hushed Donald instantly.

Donald glared hard at Creeper, who was sitting on the armchair of his master. Mickey was off on the side for the moment. What was The Horned King going to do with Donald? He couldn't help but feel uneasiness over Donald's temper getting in the way of this villain's. He just hoped Donald wouldn't do something outrageous.

"What do you want?!" Donald demanded. "You've got me here, now what is it?!"

"Silence you foolish duck," said The Horned King. "I need you to find me the cauldron."

"Oh, the cauldron huh?!" scoffed Donald. "I don't know where this cauldron is, and I don't care too!"

"Oh, Donald," moaned Mickey, dreading something very bad to happen.

The Horned King's grip on the goblet tensed, making Creeper nervous. Even his men looked up at their dark king with worry. He never said a word, but that was just as bad as being scorned.

"So you wish to defy me?" he said. "You dare to not serve me?"

"Serve you?" said Donald. "Yeah right, I wanna knock ya silly!"

Everyone cringed when he said that. The Horned King only took in Donald's stinging words, but it was clear that he was annoyed. This talking duck was a bigger nuisance than he thought. Perhaps he should do away with this foolishness by forcing him?

"If you do not obey me, you shall easily be roost duck!" he growled.

"No way!" cried Donald. "I could stand here all day and defy you all I want, because I came to see Taran and not Horny!"

That did it in. A crack formed on The Horned King's goblet and his eyes flashed red.

"So, dragging you here was all for nothing," he said, smashing the goblet with his grip. "I should have known."

"Oh no, he's mad now," Creeper whimpered.

"This is all you fault once again!" cried The Horned King, taking Creeper and strangling him.

"I'm sorry your majesty, so sorry! I just thought Donald would know ya know?" he cried, barely speaking through bouts of gurgling noises.

The men, now sensing that Donald was not needed anymore, dragged him back down to the boring dungeon. Mickey had to stay put to await his turn. Donald tried to look back to Mickey, but the guard shoved him onward. Now Donald took it no more. He used incredible strength even he didn't know he had to swing the chains out of the man's grip and slap all of the men away. Then with great trouble he waddled away toward Mickey.

"Stop that duck!" called one of the men.

A giant brute of a man swung his axe down at Donald. He quickly lurched forward to make the axe fall on the chains, creating a great noise. Donald ran away to Mickey chainless.

"I'm comin' Mickey!" he cried.

The ruffian men barred his way. Donald jumped to the side to avoid the weapons and took hold of Mickey. Large axes and swords spilt the air and Mickey saw that his chains were sliced out.

"Wow, these guys sure are strong!" Mickey said.

"Get them you fools!" The Horned King ordered when he finally noticed the resistance.

Creeper and all of the men chased Donald and Mickey out of the chamber. Everything from spears, swords, arrows, and darts were tossed in their direction. In a mad dash, they randomly chose to go down this hallway and that to escape the pursuers. Neither of them knew where the exit of this castle lied.

"Where's the exit?!" Mickey panted.

"You're tellin' me!" Donald exclaimed.

Barking was now approaching them. Donald looked over his shoulder to see a very ugly dog with a dirty grey coat, drooling tongue, and nasty eyes coming toward him. Giving a cry of fright, he ran twice as fast this time. Mickey had to put in extra effort to even catch up to Donald.

The sounds of feet were growing over time. Donald saw a faint light from the end of the hallway. Relieved, he and Mickey dashed to it and a beckoning sun welcomed them outside. Unfortunately, men with spears and other deadly weapons also came out. The dog was still coming fast.

"It's now or never!" Donald exclaimed.

With weapons bristling behind them, the two of them took off for the large drawbridge. It was up, but a lever stood beside it. Donald grabbed it and yanked it down, making the drawbridge do the same. Mickey was the first to get out, and Donald evaded the dog's jaws and was running right beside him. The dog tried to continue his chase, but the drawbridge began to move back up, resulting in the dog sliding back down.

Frightened and shaken, Donald and Mickey continued to run away from the castle as quickly as they could. Finally out of trouble for now, they stopped and rested in a calm forest with muddy ponds. Donald panted high and low to attempt to catch his breath. Never did he expect to escape The Horned King's castle that easily. Now he was only concerned of staying out of that dreary place.

"We did it, Donald!" Mickey said with cheer. "Wow, that was an awful lot of running huh?"

Donald did not respond. He dropped onto the soft grass instead, looking up at the white clouds. What troubled him now was not just finding Taran, but getting out of this kingdom. After all, the way he came here was inside a bag. He never saw the road that led to here.

"Yeah, I'm pretty tired too," Mickey admitted. "Say, is that a dog running around over at those trees?"

There was something running around the trees near them, but it was not a dog. For one thing, this creature stood on its hind legs. When Donald saw him, he jumped to his feet, for he recognized him as one of the guests from House and Mouse.

"Hey!" he called to him. "Come over here!"

Gurgi looked up at Donald's location, and his eyes lit up when he saw the duck. Eager, he hopped toward Donald and began to dance all around him.

"Gurgi can't believe it!" he exclaimed. "Talking duck came!"

"That's Donald to you," he said a little annoyed. "What's this place anyway?"

"Gurgi says this land is Prydain!" he replied. "Big kingdom it is, yes it is, scary too!"

"This place sure is scary alright!" said Mickey. "We just ran into The Horned King earlier."

Gurgi shivered at the name of the local villain. The apple that he was holding was dropped to the ground and rolled down a hill to the feet of a certain red haired boy looking up at him with disgust. Donald had never noticed him earlier.

"Gurgi don't like that man!" said Gurgi with dread. "Gurgi can't believe you escape him!"

"I can't believe you came here!" said Taran.

All three of them were startled. Donald and Mickey saw Taran come up with bitterness in his eyes. Donald gulped and looked away, but Mickey quickly hid his worry and made a classic Mickey smile.

"Hiya, Taran!" he greeted. "Boy, it must have been ages when we met last time!"

"You're telling me," he replied.

"Aw, phooey," Donald mumbled, not wanting to bear seeing this unfold.

"Look Taran, I'm sorry," Mickey replied. "This was all the fault of Disney for letting you and this movie be forgotten."

Taran laughed, making Donald a little upset. Why did he have to be so negative on Mickey? Sure, Mickey should have given him more recognition, but acting like this wasn't going to solve anything.

"You can say that again, Mickey!" said Taran. "Because of you and the company, we are all left out of the Disney magic! I can't be remembered as a famous warrior, Elionwy can't be side-by-side with the Disney Princesses, and even The Horned King himself cannot be the favorite of the Disney Villains! Do you know why that is? We are not popular because of your company's handling of us. I will believe your apology when I see it."

"Ah, shaddup you!" said Donald. "Quit being Mr. Negative and be a part of us!"

"Donald!" Mickey said, but the damage had been done.

"So this is how it is," Taran said. "You are basically telling me to accept our failure. How do you think that will make us any more acceptable? Tell you what; I will take you two with me to my home of Caer Dallben. When we get there, you can explain everything you want to all of us. Then we can see how your talk will go."

With that, he turned and walked home. Gurgi followed him with pity for Donald and Mickey. Mickey especially looked sad, defeated, and almost lost. He sighed and went to follow them with Donald taking the rear with disapproval.

The walk to Taran's home was a long and pitiful one. Never once did Taran look back to make sure Donald and Mickey were following. Gurgi shouldered on with sad nibbles of his apple. Mickey felt forlorn and confused, with Donald still upset with Taran's behavior. They were passing through the woods of Prydain until a path led to the home.

The property of Caer Dallben consisted of the house, farmland, and stables. Geese waddled the area as Taran came to the doorstep and knocked. An old man with a wrinkly face and white hair with a bald spot opened it and smiled warmly.

"Hello Taran!" he said. "Why do you look so sad?"

"They came here, Dallben," replied Taran.

Dallben saw Donald and Mickey behind him and was surprised. This old character had hardly ever left Prydain, but he had heard of these famous two. Of course, only somone living in a cave would not know who Mickey Mouse was, but to see him in a little-known land was startling to him. He would have to make a good first impression.

"Why, Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck!" he exclaimed with arms wide. "I have not seen you in years!"

"It's about time we got a warm welcome!" said Donald, Taran looking over his shoulder with a glare as he entered the house.

"Why would that be?" Dallben asked.

"Your boy treated us no better than The Horned King!" Donald exclaimed, making Gurgi and Dallben both cringe.

"Do not say his name too loudly, especially the way he has been lately," advised Dallben. "Here, come in!"

They followed him inside the house. The interior appeared to be some kind of study, with bookcases all around and a desk standing in the middle. Dallben's cat was taking a nap there. He woke him out of sleep and sat in the desk. Taran had meanwhile gone to do chores in order to not have to deal with Donald. He had enough with dealing with them.

"So tell me of your travels!" Dallben insisted. "You surely must not have come here smoothly."

They explained all of the events and trials of their time in Prydain, from the kidnappings to the escape. Dallben seemed to be impressed and surprised that they had gotten out of The Horned King's lair that easily. Then again, these were the famous Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck after all. However, he still felt concern for their safety.

"Well, that is all very interesting indeed," he said when they were finished. "The Horned King, that evil devil, he must be sending his men out to catch you two as we speak. It would be best for your safety that you leave Prydain at once."

"Oh, but we don't wanna do that sir!" Mickey said. "I came here to cheer up Taran!"

"Is that so?" replied Dallben, looking outside the window. "He has been in a bad mood lately, the poor lad."

Taran was outside near the stable, taking his pet pig Hen Wen a bath. He was washing the dirty mud off of her as though he was trying to wipe away all his troubles. Hen Wen nuzzled him for affection, for she could tell the pigboy was down in the dumps. The muck that coated her was seen as a representation of all the negative comments rallied from the critics and fans of old, drenching the film with filth. If they had just washed down the surface, they might find a shining clean gem of a movie. But would a cute, little pig be a proper representation? Not quite, for The Black Cauldron was scary and far from childish. Taran sighed and started to wash Hen Wen more slowly.

"Can you believe it, Hen Wen?" said Taran. "Here we are out in nowhere while Mickey Mouse sits high on his throne!"

He took a used sponge and threw it at a wall in the stable. The bubbles on the wall began to form something like Mickey ears. Taran scowled and reverted back to pig cleaning.

"This is not fair at all," he said with hurt. "How will we get out of this?"

"If ya give us a chance," replied Mickey Mouse.

Surprised, Taran got up and saw Donald, Mickey, Dallben, Elionwy, Fflewddur, and Gurgi there. Mickey appeared to be carrying some kind of card that he had in his pocket. Donald had gotten over his early frustration and this time made a good smile.

"Taran, you're going to the House of Mouse!" Donald told him.

"No thanks," said Taran, his eyes shying away to the ground. "Everyone will ignore me."

"No they won't, you're gonna be right on stage with all the other characters of Prydain!" Donald told him.

"Are you sure?" questioned Taran. "How will they know about us?"

"You'll get a nice, proper introduction," said Donald.

A proper introduction, now that sounded good to Taran. They should have had a proper introduction a long time ago, but now would be a better time than never. Now that he thought about it, he had been rather rough on these two. Arguing with them wouldn't solve a thing. Instead, it would only have kept his and everyone's legacy in the dark. Taran stared at the ground sadly.

"You're right," he said. "I should have given you a chance."

"Ah, don't be so sad now," Mickey told him. "All you need to do is go to House of Mouse tomorrow and present yourself to everyone!"

"You know this is our chance," remarked Fflewddur. "I say we head out this instant and be prepared for our moment of glory!"

"Gurgi wants you to come," said Gurgi to Taran, actually making Taran make a true smile.

"All right, I will go," he concluded.

Everyone cheered, and now The Black Cauldron characters were on their way to House of Mouse. Donald and Mickey were given a map by Dallben on how to leave Prydain. They then set off to the outer boundaries of the kingdom on foot, now in better moods. The trek was a long one, but the roads were smooth and The Horned King's men were luckily not prowling the land. The roads enabled them to reach a long border with countryside not within Prydain. They passed the border and easily made their way to Toontown.

Once there, a great hubbub started when everyone saw the kidnapped two arrive safely. Minnie had been so worried that she latched onto Mickey and half-chocked him with hugs. Goofy was glad to see Donald and gave him some slaps on the back.

"Oh, Mickey, I've been so worried!" said Minnie. "There was the newspaper and the dragon sightings…"

"It's all ok Minnie, we're home!" he assured her. "You can thank Donald for getting me back in one piece!"

Minnie turned on Donald and gave him a crushing hug. His eyes got big as it happened and he was left gasping for breath for a minute. It was all a part of thanks though; since Minnie can now sleep peacefully knowing Mickey was alive and well.

"Sure," Donald mumbled. "The Black Cauldron characters are comin' to House of Mouse tomorrow night."

"Really?" she replied. "They'll have the stage and all?"

"Yep," said Mickey. "If the House treats them all right, then Taran and the others will be just happy!"

Later that day, the announcements were made at House of Mouse that The Black Cauldron characters were coming to speak on stage. This was when the other Disney characters weren't there, so the staff was the only ones that knew. Notices were placed around the studios, and someone was now eyeing one with malice in his big eyes and teeth bared.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Pete exclaimed. "I knew Donald was gonna try sucking up to em'!"

Disgusted that The Black Cauldron was finally going to have recognition, a sudden idea popped in his head and he slowly began to smile dastardly. On a night that would finally set things right for the lost movie, it might not ever be.

"Say, that's not a bad idea," mumbled Pete. "Maybe I'll just trash their fun and spoil the show! Then they'll be back to where they oughta be!"

Pete laughed, and then went over to the costume department down the hall. He came in there to see a dirty bundle of brown rags. It was something Pete had gotten from a mysterious store in the past.

"The Black Cauldron will have the best show it'll never have!" he chortled.


	3. Chapter 3 The Spilt

Chapter 3 The Spilt

A bright full moon floated above the House of Mouse as spotlights tilted from side to side. Crowds of characters from all movies and lands filed inside the doors, each of them ready to have another fun-filled night watching cartoons and dining out. They took their seats and waited for the show to start. They never realized that the show was going to be very different tonight. The audience only sat and chat with their peers, carrying on as usual.

Back in the studios, Donald was left wandering around, both excited and nervous. His efforts were all going to be tested very soon. He often peeked outside the door at the crowd, and they remained the way they were on a usual night. How would they react to a group of characters they barely noticed? They would be either curious of the group or suspicious. No, they couldn't try to be rude to them, not at the House of Mouse. As much as this club could be sometimes, nothing that bad could happen on this night. Donald tried to stay cool above all of this worry.

"The shows' just about to start, Donald!" said Daisy. "Everything is going great!"

"Are you sure?" he replied with worry.

"Oh Donald, there's no point worrying about how the introduction will go," she told him.

_The Black Cauldron_ characters stood near the opening to the stage. Instead of stage fright, they were actually confident in their coming time to shine. Mickey was in the front, clearly cheerful that now could be the moment when Taran will finally be cleared of all ills and _The Black Cauldron_ will stand by the other Disney Classics. It was his job to make sure that all Disney films were treated proper and right, and that will soon be true for this one.

"Just a few more minutes everyone!" he told them.

It made him feel good that they seemed happy about the show. Taran was actually glad that this visit would be the most worthwhile time at this club. Now Mickey could rest while they would get their show underway. Mike had made the opening lines, and Mickey came out on stage to cheers and applause. It made Taran swell up with joy that soon those crowds will cheer for him. Attention seemed like a fresh, new candy waiting to be eaten.

"Welcome to House of Mouse everybody!" began Mickey. "Tonight, we have a group of very special characters to come on stage for our first presentation! They came from a faraway kingdom just to see you guys and have some fun! They wouldn't be here if not for you after all!"

Before, Taran would have remarked about "very special" as an attempt to make up to him, but he felt warmed that he said those two words. They were very special, for they were still Disney characters. Now he and the others will get out there and show those people that they mean something too.

"Wow," he said. "We may just get our chance!"

Donald still watched from the studio, tenser then ever. This moment had a lot to lose or gain. Should _The Black Cauldron_ characters prevail, a lost movie may be back in the spotlight long denied. However, if they failed, it would remain a shame and Taran would never talk to them again. He would disappear entirely. This was going to be intense. He tried many times to think to himself that this introduction would go as smooth as milk.

"Come on," mumbled Donald. "Get them out and get it over with!"

"We're gonna start off the night with the introduction of a movie ya might not have remembered, but is still a part of Disney. They had a rough past, an unclear present, and hopefully a great big future! They're comin' out right now! Give it up for the characters of _The Black Cauldron_!" exclaimed Mickey.

They came out to scattered applause. Most of the house members looked confused or unhappy. Donald face-palmed with dread, for he knew this was no good welcome. He peeked through his fingers to see a few Disney Villains shaking their heads and other characters scratching theirs. All of the smiles were instantly dropped on _The Black Cauldron_ characters. Taran stared around with unease, looking at the confused crowd before him with mixed feelings. He took a microphone, which seemed remarkably heavy now, and contiued to stare ahead of the chamber with an uncomfortable mood.

"…Hello everyone," he spoke in the microphone. "My name is Taran, and we are the characters from _The Black Cauldron_."

An uneasy silence was left, only making him more skittish. Donald sank to the floor in disappointment, eyeing the still club around him sadly. Just then, there was a great ruffling of clothes and noise back in the studios. A gruff, deep voice was trying to cry out.

"Hey!" it called. "Get off me! Let me go! Quit tryin' to take…"

The voice became muffled and hard to understand. Donald would have gone to investigate if not for a character from the audience speaking out.

"_The Black Cauldron_?" asked Ursula. "You mean the one movie that fell apart because of the rating?"

"Yes," replied Taran, "And what about the rating?"

Ursula laughed, as did all the other Disney Villains. Now Taran was becoming mad.

"Stop that!" he demanded. "We are still Disney characters and _The Black Cauldron_ is underrated!"

"Rated PG for parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children," said a booming voice that echoed throughout the chamber.

Everyone looked around in confusion. Donald looked on in bewilderment as the lights began to dim and the giant screen began to play something truly outrageous. It was footage from _The Black Cauldron_, but not from the movie. What appeared first was a gruesome, disgusting scene of one of The Horned King's men becoming devoured by the Black Cauldron. The poisonous green fumes rotted away his flesh and big red blots formed on his decaying skin. All of the Disney characters, even a few of the villains, were frightened of the horrible sight. No one's faces were as horrified as _The Black Cauldron_ characters' or Donald's. Mickey looked on with perfect fear. This was not part of the show.

Another scene showed a dragon carrying off with a bleeding boy in its talons. Now most of the audience covered their eyes and Mickey dropped his jaw. Taran stayed rooted to the spot, for that boy looked like him. Something was clearly not going right during this introduction at all.

However, nothing was more shocking than the scene with Elionwy taking a bath in a river. All characters were outraged or scared at the sight. Elionwy turned bright colors of embarrassment in the face and was so flabbergasted that she swooned into Taran's weakened arms. Characters laughed and shrieked as it played. Donald Duck was so upset that he went stomping up to Mickey.

"What's going on?" he demanded. "That's not a part of the schedule!"

"I know," replied Mickey. "Gosh, what's going on here?"

Several more scenes popped up, violent and dark for Disney standards. A scene showed a skeleton warrior strangling a man to death. Once the violence and gore was done, all the characters in the House sat on their seats rigidly. Finally someone spoke.

"Was dat a Disney movie?" exclaimed Willie the Giant. "I had those guys behind me dis whole time?"

"Please, that is not what we are!" pleaded Taran with great fear. "I promise you, that is not how we are!"

The stage began to get misty. Heavy footsteps rocked the floor as a great big, brown shape stomped its way to _The Black Cauldron_ characters. It was a large hooded figure with short horns on his head, and it had big black arms and giant brown slippers. It had a skull's face, but this one looked more silly than frightening. Overall, it looked like a lumbering, fat, and ridiculous Horned King.

"So, how did y'all like the deleted scenes?" he told the audience.

"Now who might you be?" asked Fflewddur. "Surely you're not The Horned King?"

"Nah, I'm just a different version of him I guess," he said in his gruff voice. "You can just call me Horny!"

Donald, now mad again, came running up on stage. This guy could not be the real Horned King. He talked like a palooka and he was fat. He was certain that did not mean that he was big boned. Only one person could be this imposter, and that was Pete.

"Alright Pete, get outta here!" demanded Donald. "Quit trying to ruin the show like ya usually do!"

Horny (or Pete) turned toward Donald and flashed his eyes at him. Instead of scary red eyes however, he had bugged-out red eyes that looked laughable on a terrifying villain like The Horned King. Donald was not so sure if he should laugh or be frightened.

"Confused?" replied Horny. "I told ya I'm not exactly The Horned King! In fact, you ought to be scared out of your wits about me!"

"Oh, really?" replied Taran, approaching Horny with anger. "How dare you try to come here and ruin our first chance to redeem ourselves?"

"Well, if it isn't the Pigboy!" chuckled Horny with pleasure. "Are you trying to redeem yourself or something? Talk about pitiful!"

Mickey came up on stage to side with Taran and everyone else. Whoever this fellow was, he was sure being seriously rude and annoying. There was no doubt in Mickey's mind that this "Horny" was simply Pete trying to crash the joint again like he would every now and then. This time was actually important however, and the audience watched on as the standoff continued.

"Cut it out, Pete!" piped Mickey. "We don't have time for your shenanigans!"

"I thought I told ya I go by Horny," he grumbled. "Enough wasting time jabbering to you, it's time to have everybody hear what this is, a sham!"

Horny made his way to Taran, shoving him aside and taking the microphone. He tried to take it back, but Horny held him at bay with his black hand.

"Everyone in the House of Mouse!" he said. "You're eyes just got burned watching the deleted scenes, but wait until you see the real threat to Disney!"

He turned around and raised his arms to the ceiling. Suddenly, a great tornado of black magic appeared on stage, blowing all the other characters away. Lights flashed and tables rumbled. The audience screamed and tablecloths were blown out. The penguins and broomsticks were swept up in the air. Donald clung to the floor and watched as a large cauldron now lay at the center of the stage.

"Behold, the Black Cauldron!" declared Horny.

The whipping winds formed into a billowing cloud that rose to the top of the chamber with a rising force. Most of the audience gazed at its intimidating shape, but Taran and the others set their sights on the cauldron, their surprise at its peak. How did Horny claim the black cauldron? More confusing however, was how did he get it?

"I can't believe it," said Taran. "What is the meaning of all this?"

It was then that a disturbing burst of cackling rushed from the black cloud. Three shapes poked out from within it. One was a rough, old hag with a pointy nose and malicious eyes. Another was fat and another skinny. All were blue-skinned, orange haired, and ghastly to see. They were the Three Witches from the swamp in Prydain.

"Well, well, well, what a lovely crowd to come see us tonight!" cackled Orddu.

"Oh, yes, and is it a pity that they may be in some trouble here in a moment?" replied Orwen.

"Wait, who're you three?" exclaimed Donald. "Don't tell me there's even more uninvited guests!"

"We were here to be with the fellow who made a bargain with us!" said Orddu.

Horny stood near the cauldron and gave it a touch of his claw. It gave off a flare that startled the crowd. He then turned to the audience again and flashed his silly eyes. Despite his strange appearence, he was trying to be serious to the crowd that had nott seen someone like him around.

"If ya don't stop this show now, I'm going to use the black cauldron to destroy the House of Mouse!" he told everyone.

When they heard that, characters panicked and left the House running. All of them from Snow White to Tiana and Naveen left the House of Mouse as though a ticking time bomb had started. Before long, only the staff, Black Cauldron characters, and the intruders were left.

"I hope you're happy, Pete," said Mickey with disgust.

"Fine, call me all ya want," said Horny. "I'm still called Horny, and this black cauldron wouldn't have blown up anyway, not right now!"

He and the three witches laughed, while Taran, Donald, and Mickey stood with their fists clenched. Finally Donald had enough and sprang at Horny with his target being his stupid skull face. Horny snatched Donald and flung him aside. Taran and Mickey also tried to attack Horny, but a long crane yanked them off the stage. Donald came to and saw the witches' cloud descending onto him. That was all that he saw.

Outside House of Mouse, the cloud drifted above the building and then made its way across Toontown. Ominous and dreary, the cloud that served as the witches' main mode of transportation spread bad feelings and irritant thoughts to all people cast in its shadow. A faint rumbling of the witch laughter could be heard coming from within, signaling their evil pleasures of what they might do in the future. Although he never knew it, Donald was a prisoner of this cloud, and it was taking him back to Prydain.

Meanwhile, Mickey and Taran saw that those that pulled them off the stage were Goofy and the staff. Taran yearned to go back out and battle Horny, but they all rejected his brashness. The show stopper had then left the stage to let his minions take the black cauldron away. They came up to the cauldron, bizarre creatures of creepy looks. Black and grey in color, the little monsters used surprising strength to pick the cauldron up and follow their boss toward the exit. Horny turned back one more time for a departing comment.

"Thank you Mickey Mouse for letting us come over!" he said.

"How did you get those things on you're side?" quacked Donald.

Horny had turned around and lumbered off to catch up with his underlings. Behind the curtains, Taran seemed to shrink with woe over this unfortunate happening. He felt anger and disappointment over this show, Horny, Mickey, and perhaps Disney in general. His head was lowered and eyes down. Donald and the others looked concerned for him.

"Are you ok, Taran?" asked Donald.

"Typical," he replied. "We were always destined for failure."

"Come on now, we were just giving you a chance," said Goofy.

"We never had a chance," said Taran. "Disney would be better off never knowing of us. The Dark Age, that horrible age, it is a wonder we're not scorned more. We are not Disney. I'm such a fool. I will go back to Prydain and stay there once and for all."

No more persuading or talking could help him anymore. He left with his group. The House of Mouse staff was sorry to see them go. Donald had not felt so down in a long time. All he tried to do was help, but it was all that was done to make a bigger hole for Taran and his friends.

As the characters of The Black Cauldron left, they did not see that a larger group of characters were standing nearby, staring at them with affection and understanding. They were an old woman, a fox, a hound, three dressed mice, a street man with a pack of dogs, and a girl with her orange cat.

"They need help," said Basil the Great Mouse Detective. "They need our help now."

...

The next day, Taran longed to return to his home. The trip had been weary and lonely. They had parted ways back in the woods, so he was all alone now. He hoped that his home would provide the comfort that he needed. He had no idea what had happened.

Caer Dallben was in shambles. Furniture and trinkets were thrown outside and the windows were busted. Horror seizing him, Taran sprinted to the doorway and found the inside of the house full of thrown books and fallen bookcases. The cooking pot had been overturned. Dallben's desk lay broken in pieces, most likely hacked by a mighty axe. The real Horned King had ordered a raid on Taran's home.

"Dallben!" he cried. "Where are you?"

There was nothing scarier than The Horned King's castle and all its dungeons then this ravaged home. No longer did he feel like he was at home. Now Caer Dallben had become a pitiful, lifeless ruin, and it was all because of the Horned King. Where was Dallben?

His cat finally appeared from the piles of debris, shaken and scared as though he saw a ghost. The cat rubbed against Taran's legs for comfort, but he was far from that. This home had a feeling of menace in the air that chilled him. It was felt even more when he saw the walls charred by some kind of spell. Maybe the Horned King's men were not the only ones that attacked Caer Dallben? An unknown enemy further unnerved the Pigboy.

He hurried to the stables outside and to Hen Wen's cage. The men would surely have come to get the special oracular pig. When he found her pen empty, then he truly knew evil had come. He sank to the ground with despair. Then he had a horrible feeling. No, they couldn't have done that.

"Dallben!" he cried, springing to his feet and running back to the house.

He searched every corner of Caer Dallben, and the more he searched, the more he realized his greatest fear. When it was confirmed, he stood at Dallben's study and tried his best not to weep. They had captured Dallben, the enchanter and his loved guardian.

A mix of grief and anger, Taran thought about all the precious memories he had with the old enchanter. None of this could have happened if he had stayed here this whole time. He wished someone was with him now, for being alone was one of the crushing factors that held him down now. Maybe then he could have acted like a true warrior and protected Dallben from those cursed men.

Then it hit him, perhaps he could do that now. He could rescue Dallben from The Horned King and set things right. Yes, that was the way to do it. A burst of confidence grew inside Taran. He dropped all of his sorrow and replaced it with fierce determination. He ran off away from Caer Dallben and toward the Horned King's castle. He might not have the magic sword anymore, but this Assistant Pig Keeper will battle The Horned King one way or another.

...

That same day, the witches in their black cloud returned to their gloomy cottage in the swamps. With Donald Duck as their sleepy captive, the witches descended into their home, not seeing a group of figures hiding in the bushes. Once inside, Orduu, Orwen, and Orgoch appeared and saw Donald come to the floor in his sleeping state. The witches began to lick their crusty lips.

"What should we do, my dears?" asked Orddu to the other two. "Should we turn him into a frog so we can have frog legs on this fine day? He surely wouldn't be of no use to us otherwise!"

"Why not?" replied Orwen. "Frog legs sound tastier than roost duck!"

They cast their arms in the air to turn Donald into a frog, but suddenly here came a group of characters the witches never laid eyes on before. The first to enter were a pair of mice dressed in detective clothing that rushed to Donald and jumped all over him. He quickly woke up and saw the mice on him. Crying out, he immediately jumped up and sprung Basil into Orwen's cleavage. Shrieking, Orwen reeled back and fell on the wooden floor with a bump. Basil jumped out and ran away before the other two witches could grab him.

Todd and Copper arrived to growl at the witches. Frightened, they were backed up to the wall as a pack of dogs came in and knocked over cauldrons and boxes, releasing frogs that began jumping away from their captors.

"Our dinner!" cried Orgoch. "Why, you little brutes!"

Going on the offensive, the witches fired spells on the dogs to drive them back. Donald, not knowing what was going on, ran out the door with Basil and Dawson. The dogs saw that Donald escaped unharmed, so they ran off from the cottage as the witches fired every spell in the spell book. As a result, their cottage was on the verge of collapse with Donald following the mice away from the scene. Some of the frogs stayed around to croak at the smoking cottage in laughter.

"You won't get away with this!" cried Orddu. "You will never leave Prydain alive!"

When they were a safe distance, Donald came to see Fagin, Jenny, and Widow Tweed. This surprised Donald because these people were from other movies and he didn't know that they had sympathy for The Black Cauldron

"Good job everybody!" said Fagin to his dogs. "You saved Donald Duck from the crazy witches!"

"What are you all doing here?" exclaimed Donald. "What am I doing here?"

"Why, you were taken by those horrible witches yesterday!" Widow Tweed told him. "So we came here to find poor Taran and you!"

"Great, so I'm back here again, just great!" complained Donald.

"Hey, cheer up man, you would've been a frog back at that house if we didn't come!" said Fagin. "We just made a very important decision, that's all!"

"What kind of decision?" asked Donald.

"We formed the Disney 80's League!" said Basil. "As a coalition of the Disney films from the 80's, it is our duty to see to it that all of our movies are treated fairly. Of course, we all know The Black Cauldron is generally unpopular for the most part, but as a film of the 80's, we must somehow bring this movie to light!"

The Disney 80's League, it sounded corny, but it might help Donald's quest in Prydain. After what came about last night, Donald would expect Taran to not speak to him again. But if he could see that a few characters did care, then the Pigboy would have to be heartened a little. Some appreciation is better than none at all.

"So why do you all care for The Black Cauldron besides their decade?" asked Donald.

"We weren't so hot either, even though we did better," said Fagin. "Our league's supposed to look out for the other less lucky guys."

"Oh, that's right," replied Widow Tweed. "Donald, Mickey will be leaving Toontown to come here to find you."

"Really?" exclaimed Donald. "Does he know where we're at?"

"Not exactly, but he told us to fetch you so that we could come over to Taran's home. From there, Mickey will arrive and take you home while we work to repair The Black Cauldron's image," she said.

That sounded like a plan, but Donald felt like he should go along on this mission of theirs.

"How about I join you instead?" Donald suggested. "I'm the one that started all this."

"Sure!" replied Widow Tweed. "We would be happy to have you join us! But we must go to Taran's home first so Mickey can know about it, all right?"

Donald agreed, and so he and The Disney 80's League began their trip through the swamps. A question seemed to float in Donald's head however.

"Where's Ariel and them?" he asked. "They're 80's too."

"Yeah, but they had it easier than us!" Fagin told him. "They started the Golden Age and all that!"

It felt a little unfair that they didn't have The Little Mermaid characters to tag along, but Donald at any rate set off deeper into Prydain without knowing that Taran had gone on his own adventure. The separating of Donald, Taran, and Mickey had caused The Spilt. Now they would each have their own objective and journeys. Donald was soon going to find out that this adventure was only just the beginning.


	4. Chapter 4 Attack

Chapter 4 Attack

Donald Duck found that the Disney 80's League made for better companions than he thought. He and Mickey had little idea what to do in Prydain, but these characters had a good sense of how this land was made up. Basil said that this was because they had studied The Black Cauldron a good while before they came here. They reached a long pond where a series of stepping stones made a trail across.

"Oh my, does this require some kind of physical activity?" asked Widow Tweed with worry.

Basil approached the stepping stones and inspected them intensely.

"For your size, yes," he replied. "You may need to be careful hopping across here, so you don't find yourself taking a fall into the pond. Of course, for someone like me, I can simply hop from stone to stone easily."

Basil jumped onto the first stone and waited. He was about to time his next jump when suddenly the stone began to spin around. Taken off guard, Basil was left at the mercy of the spinning stone.

"What in blazes?!" he exclaimed. "Could this be a trap?"

The water around the stone began circling as well, and a swift whirlpool formed and sucked in the unlucky mouse detective. Alarmed, Dawson and Donald tried to reach for Basil, but the whirlpool pulled them in too. The others only watched as they went down a vortex into the pond. When Donald and the mice saw where they were taken, they found themselves in a dark cave with many small tunnels.

"Great, now we're stuck!" complained Donald.

"No need to fear now!" said Basil. "We only need to keep our eyes focused in case some crazed spy is hiding in those holes."

Something was keeping an eye on them, but it was no crazed spy. It was only a tiny light creeping above a crack in the earth, and within this light was a little fairy watching the mice and duck with childish interest. Soon, many other tiny lights were appearing around the area, and it wasn't until they formed a hazy presence that Donald began to notice. Captivated, the little creatures played around his head. He tried to wave them off, but they kept going around and around him with little squeals of their cute voices.

"Who're these guys?!" he demanded. "What they do want with us?"

"They don't seem to be harmful, but we best be on our guard," said Basil.

The shiny orbs began to make Donald feel sleepy and nauseated. Then came what appeared to be a tiny fairy with glasses, two bug-like antennas, and a red coat that made him look like Santa Claus. He came fluttering up to Donald so he could communicate to him directly.

"Did you just drop in to our kingdom?" asked King Eidelleg. "You know, it seems that everyone tends to come to us every now and then through our entrance, I wonder why that might be?"

"Well, we didn't mean to drop on by, but we are heading to Taran's home," Basil told him. "Would you know where that is?"

"Not quite," he answered. "I believe that's the same boy who came here before with his friends."

"That's the one!" exclaimed Donald. "Did they just come by?"

"No," he replied. "We're not sure where he might be, but since it appears that you three are out to find him, we'll gladly get you back to the surface!"

The fairies began to circle around them. Donald and the mice began to float to their surprise. Donald tried to flap his arms to stabilize his floating, but the fairies only giggled and controlled him themselves. Basil and Dawson were just astounded that these beings could bring them up in the air the way they did. Flashing and shining, the fairies slowly brought them back up from the cave. On the surface, the Disney 80's League sat around with worry about what happened until from out of the water jumped Donald and the two mice.

"That was simply strange," said Basil.

"My goodness, you three are back so soon!" exclaimed Widow Tweed. "We were so worried about you!"

Nearby bushes began to shake. Fagin and his dog pack quickly turned to where the disturbance came from, and that was when a large dragonfly shot out and buzzed over Dodger. A bizarre growling sound rumbled from where it came from.

"Dragonflies?!" exclaimed Fagin. "Are they dangerous or something?!"

A pair of skinny legs furled outward from the bush, twig-like and thin like a bug's. A long snout like that of an elephant poked out, and two little bat wings were raised. Everyone stared at the strange sight with wonder and some fear. Then the bush was torn to pieces to reveal a monster so weird and disturbing that Donald cried out.

The thing had a bulging, see-through body with what appeared to have more dragonflies among its acidic insides. They buzzed so angrily that they seemed more like wasps than dragonflies. The creature itself was a marvel just for how it could hold its body up with such small limbs. Out of place in a land like Prydain, it took advantage of Donald's blunt surprise and shot another mad dragonfly out of its snout. This time he reacted, and he made a run for it, squabbling as the dragonfly chased him.

"I'm getting outta here!" he quacked, jumping to avoid the dragonfly, which whizzed into a tree.

Some members of the Disney 80's League tried to follow him while Fagin's dogs stood their ground against the monster. Afraid for their safety, Donald began to think about the possibility of being spilt again. Even if they did know this place a little better, it would be great trouble if he was all alone with an old woman and two mice.

So all they could do was escape the battle and hope Fagin and his dog pack would prevail. Now the woods looked to be less dense than it was earlier, with more open grassland appearing. With more open grassland, Donald soon realized that he was near the road where he and Mickey followed Taran to Caer Dallben. As soon as that monster can be taken care of, they should go along that path. They could still hear the barking and buzzing, but before long Fagin and the pack appeared without a scratch.

"How did you beat that… thing?!" exclaimed Donald.

"Hey, we can take care of anybody!" Fagin told him. "We need to find that path now!"

"Right over there!" said Donald. "That should take us right to it!"

Donald thought that the creature was done for, but it actually got away from the pack. It crouched now in the brush again, waiting for another person to come by the pool. Because of it, Donald had more reason to be wary.

As the rejoined group set off up the trail, Donald eyed every nook and cranny as though something like that creature would hide there. The others were nothing short of cautious too. But luckily for them, no more strange monsters came out to attack, and the surroundings looked more and more familiar to Donald as Caer Dallben was about to come up. When it did, that was when the familiarity came to a stop.

"What happened here?!" exclaimed Donald.

Now he saw the house in its bad shape. Tossed furniture, damaged walls, and overall ruin was cast over it like a scar. The others in Donald's party gawked when they witnessed it.

"Why, it looks like a mad robbery had just happened!" said Basil.

"And we were too late!" added Donald. "Who would do such a thing?!"

All of them came inside to see even more damage. Widow Tweed shook her head and Basil examined the big mess around Dallben's desk. What Donald was wondering was where Taran or Dallben would be. The answer was obvious when none of them saw those two around the property. Now Donald was thinking another question, were they captured?

"Man, this just keeps getting worse!" he complained.

"Well, I say our plans went out the window," said Widow Tweed sadly.

"It appears this was the work of warriors," said Basil. "Those cuts on the smashed desk are definitely by swords and axes."

"Swords, axes, warriors," mumbled Donald with increasing distress. "Oh no, not those guys!"

The Horned King's men were responsible for this attack, and it seemed even more likely that Taran was kidnapped. Anger and fear making him a little edgy, Donald would have done what he did best and raved until something dark was appearing outside. A little dread creeping on them, they had some instinct to come out and see what it was. It was a small storm cloud, and out from it popped the three witches.

"Hello again you imbeciles!" said Orduu. "You're lucky our cottage didn't collapse! Shocked to see what happened here?!"

"You palookas took me back here again!" Donald cried. "Are you trying to annoy me?!"

"Annoy you? You're the one annoying us!" barked Orwen. "I could just as easily turn you into roast duck!"

"What is it with roast duck in this place?!" quacked Donald. "Just tell us what happened here!"

The storm cloud became a great crystal ball, revealing a scene of Caer Dallben being attacked by not warriors, but strange beings reminiscent of the monster earlier.

"This home was attacked by monsters sent by the one who made a bargain with us, Horny!" explained Orduu. "He recently recruited a force of these creatures to bring old Dallben to submission! Of course, it was a simple task for him, and Dallben was taken by the monsters and sent to a battleship commanded by Horny. If you all had any sense of heroism in you, you would want to rescue the old man and be a hero to your good friend Taran would you?"

"Oh, that's right Orduu," said Orgoch. "That pigboy hates you now, but if you rescue his guardian, he'll be like a best friend!"

"Is that what you want?" Orwen asked Donald.

Donald wasn't so sure if they were being honest about this. For one thing, they were smiling slyly and there have been plenty of times that he was reminded never to trust witches. But if this could be the only way to regain Taran's trust, then maybe it was for the better.

"Where's this battleship of Pete's at?" he asked.

"Out by the sea at the far reaches of the kingdom," replied Orduu.

"May I ask you something?" asked Basil with clear suspicion. "Why exactly are you trying to help us when you made a deal with this Horny?"

The witches exchanged glances, but Orduu thought up a quick response for the mouse detective.

"To tell you the truth," she said with a gleam in her eye. "We don't like that Horny!"

"Then why bargain with him?!" Donald countered.

"Because we wanted to fool him you nasty duck!" snapped Orgoch. "Why must you all be so snippy to us?"

"Tell me about it!" scoffed Orduu. "Well, I suppose we should just let these strangers find Horny and do whatever they want to him! We must be off!"

With that, they sank back into the cloud and away the billowing shape went into the brownish sky. Donald and Basil watched it drift off with scrutinizing eyes, but the others only looked ahead at the path as it continued to lead away from Caer Dallben. Then a surprise came from out of nowhere. Fflewddur stumbled out from the bushes with frustration and shook his fist at the witches' cloud.

"Now ladies, you had me lumbering along this path and now you leave me?!" he said.

"Hey, it's the old man!" exclaimed Donald when he heard him.

Fflewddur found himself surrounded by characters from different lands, checking to make sure he was fine. It wasn't until Donald came into the picture that he finally took off his stress.

"Why, I didn't expect to see you again!" he said. "What brings your return?"

"Those witches took me back here!" replied Donald. "Me and the Disney 80's League are on a quest to save Taran and probably Prydain too!"

"Prydain in danger?!" said Fflewddur with worry. "What brings you to that… oh my."

Now he got to see Caer Dallben. Suddenly his saggy cheeks and wrinkles seemed baggier and his arms drooped. He looked bummed, but his depression was soon replaced with stark bitterness.

"The Horned King I presume?" he growled.

"Yeah," replied Donald.

Fflewddur remained quiet for a minute, thinking thoughts similar to them. Was Taran captured? The poor lad has had a mighty difficult time the past few days. These odd sorts of characters accompanied by the duck were an unfamiliar lot, but it would be well appreciated if they were to aid him in saving Taran. That does it; Fflewddur Fflam will try everything within his power to help.

"Donald," he said with renewed energy. "I shall join you on your quest!"

"Good!" exclaimed Donald, "Any idea where to go from here?"

"I say we go straight to the lair of that bone-headed devil! The Horned King!" the old man said.

"I was afraid of that," grumbled Donald.

With an experienced helper at hand, Donald Duck and his companions set off toward the one place he didn't want to set a webbed foot in again. The castle loomed in the distance like a shadowed mountain, standing as though it waited for the famous duck to come waddling up to it again. Donald just hoped that this time he wouldn't be so easily captured, even if they were about to walk right into the Horned King's bony clutches.


	5. Chapter 5 Strange Sightings

Chapter 5 Strange Sightings

Just as Donald and his group went toward The Horned King's castle, so did the one they thought was in danger. The only difference with Taran was that he was at it for most of the day, hardly taking breaks because of his concern for Dallben. It wouldn't be long before his hurry would gain on him, and he had to rest near a stream. Weary, he took the time to drink the fresh water. Now soothed, he looked up to see an impressive sight.

A horse was standing on the other bank, but not just any normal horse, for this one was a warhorse. Powerfully built with brown and yellow draped over it, a young person was mounted on it. He was clad in armor, and a helmet hid his head. He was staring at Taran.

"You there!" he called to him, eerily familiar. "What brings you here?"

Taran stared at the young warrior sheepishly, because his voice sounded almost exactly his own. Maybe his ears were playing tricks on him.

"I'm trying to rescue my guardian," he replied. "Who are you?"

"Wow, you sound awfully familiar!" said the warrior, reaching for his helmet. "Could it be just a… coincidence?"

The warrior took his helmet off, and Taran was flabbergasted. This young warrior was an exact clone of him. His face, hair, and voice were the same, but what set him apart from the normal Taran was the armor he wore.

"You're… you're exactly like me!" he gasped.

"Not exactly," replied the warrior Taran. "I'm something you've always wanted to be!"

"A warrior?" said Taran, the words bursting out without hesitation. "But how are you almost like me? You have to be some kind of imposter!"

"Not at all," said the other Taran. "What you see is real. Look what I have!"

A brilliant sword glowered with red fire as he unsheathed it. He held it out for Taran to hang his jaw at it.

"The magic sword, where did you get that?" demanded Taran.

"It's quite a story," he said. "But enough talk, I have a mission to finish!"

"What kind of mission in all of Prydain are you doing?" questioned Taran.

"To defeat The Horned King!" he exclaimed.

"Now you really are an imposter!" said Taran, making a face.

Warrior Taran only laughed, and steered his horse away to the direction of the mighty castle. Before he could ride off, he realized something he forgot.

"Oh, that's right," he said. "I never introduced myself did I?"

"I bet your name doesn't start with a T!" snapped Taran.

"Do you have to be so bitter?" replied the warrior Taran with a little frustration. "Anyway, I am Sir Taran, the greatest warrior in all of Prydain, and soon the world. I know it sounds silly that I happen to look like you, but I'm no missing twin! I am the embodiment of your dreams, Taran!"

The normal Taran stayed crouched on the river bank, staring up at Sir Taran who smiled confidently. He tried to rub his eyes and refocus, but Sir Taran was still there. He tried to splash water on his face, but Sir Taran was still there. Sir Taran only chuckled as the normal Taran looked on him with disbelief.

"This has to be the work of black magic!" said Taran.

"To you," replied Sir Taran. "Maybe if you didn't spend so much time dreaming, I wouldn't be here right now. Maybe, _you _would be _me _right now."

"…please stop," pleaded Taran, not wanting to think anymore about it. "You say you're after The Horned King too?"

"That's right," Sir Taran replied. "The Horned King has captured someone of great importance to me!"

Dallben immediately came to mind, but then how did he know about him?

"What do you know about Dallben?" he asked.

"Just as much as you," replied Sir Taran.

"I'm searching for him too!' exclaimed Taran. "Could we save him together?"

"Oh, that's a fair plan," said Sir Taran. "But… how about we see who saves him first?"

Odd, why did this embodiment want to challenge rather than cooperate? And how did he know all about Dallben? Maybe he also shares feelings for him since he's a part of him.

"Fine," he said. "But you better be careful with Dallben if you win!"

"No problem, I will do no harm," he told him. "Farewell then, to The Horned King's castle!"

Taran left the river and was back on track again. Part of him wanted to defeat this supposed embodiment of his dreams and be Dallben's hero, but he also felt unsure about Sir Taran's goals. As for the other Taran, it was clear as day to see the normal Taran's shaken uncertainty about him. And who wouldn't, it's very unusual to see someone looking like you. So as much as Sir Taran understood this, he also thought this was a prime opportunity to accomplish his real goals.

"Of course, I didn't say _why_ he was of great importance to me," he said with a sly grin.

When Mickey and Minnie found out that Donald was gone yet again, the first thing that Mickey thought was that he was in Prydain. He knew there was something fishy about the cloud those witches floated in. Then there was the thought about him probably being in danger because of them, and then the need to look for Donald became all the more urgent. To do just that, Mickey decided to get his stuff ready and hop in his car for another trip to Prydain, but not without a persistent Minnie to come along. Goofy would have come as well, but he was out and about doing his own things.

"What kind of land is Prydain, Mickey?" Minnie asked him.

"Well Minnie, it's no happy fantasy land," he said, getting the car ready. "There's tough guys and dragons and who knows what else!"

"We can take them right?" she asked.

"Sure, we're Mickey and Minnie! Who can stop us?" he replied.

The car was ready, and Mickey drove off into town and toward the road that would leave out. However, when the city limit was near, a strange sight came up. It was a group of cloaked strangers out along the sidewalk, muttering quietly to each other. They wouldn't have been a problem if Mickey drove on by, but the one nearest the front seemed to motion them over. A confused Mickey and skittish Minnie pulled up to the figure.

"What's the problem sir?" he asked.

"Do you know by any chance where Prydain is?" asked the slick voice. "We want to know."

"You know what's funny, we're going there too!" said Mickey. "Leave this road and keep going west and then south, you'll get there in no time!"

"Wonderful," said the figure. "We wanted to know where the boy might be."

Mickey then drove away from the strangers feeling a little wary. He kept an eye on them from the rear-view mirror, and the group began to shift down the direction he was driving, apparently toward Prydain.

"That's weird," he said. "What do they want with Taran?"

"And why are they wearing robes and hoods on such a sunshiny day?" asked Minnie.

"I don't know Minnie, but I'd be a little careful for now on," said Mickey.

There were no more disturbances for the rest of the trip. They were within the boundaries of Prydain, and the dirt paths were barely drivable for the car. The first stop would be Caer Dallben, because Mickey didn't want to drive so deep into the kingdom that he would be lost. Taran was certainly going to be even more uncooperative this time around, but it hardly mattered to Mickey. He wanted to know where Donald might be, and Dallben would have a good idea about those witches. He wasn't prepared at all for what he and Minnie were about to see.

"Take a right and we're in Caer…" Mickey never finished his sentence.

"Oh dear, what could this shack be?" asked Minnie. "It looks like it's been broke into!"

And broken into it was, and three of its greatest possessions were gone, and those were the inhabitants. Minnie was concerned, but Mickey was terrified. Only one person could be responsible for something horrible like this.

"The Horned King!" exclaimed Mickey.

Hurrying through the smashed door, Mickey and Minnie took in the disturbed sights of all the messes in Dallben's study, just as Donald and the Disney 80's League did. Then they searched the property to see if Taran or Dallben were still around, also like Donald. When they came to the study alone, they weren't sure what to do next.

"He's probably kidnapped them," said Mickey, outraged.

"This is terrible Mickey, now Donald's not the only one!" whimpered Minnie.

"As bad as this is Minnie, we gotta find Donald first!" Mickey told her. "Maybe he might have a clue!"

Unfortunately, Mickey still thought that Donald was held captive by the witches and not going anywhere. He didn't know that he had escaped and was on a journey of his own. So by not knowing that, Mickey was sure to get himself lost in the kingdom looking for the witches' cottage until Minnie had a different idea.

"You know Mickey, this house has been abandoned for quite a while," she said.

"What do ya mean?" asked Mickey.

"Oh, it would be really bad if this house had to be in this horrible state for days," she mused. "So could we… clean here?"

Her idea wasn't washing over Mickey. He didn't like the idea of cleaning up a raided house while Donald was about to be eaten somewhere by those witches.

"But come on Minnie, we shouldn't delay our search for Donald!" he replied, a little agitated.

"I'm just as concerned for him as you," she said. "And do we really know for sure that Taran's kidnapped?"

"Not really," he said.

"Well, I think we should stay put here and tidy things up so Taran won't have such a problem on his hands when he comes back!" she told him.

There was no pressuring Minnie now, cleaning up Caer Dallben was her new mission. Mickey knew that the property all around them was in pitiful shape, but with this kind of aftermath a clean-up would seem to take ages. But before Mickey could think of wasted time, he remembered his escape from The Horned King's castle. Donald was totally responsible for that one. If he could escape The Horned King, then the witches' shouldn't be that hard to get away from. Now thinking this, Mickey began to lighten up about the cleaning task he and Minnie were going to start.

The forest around him might have been peaceful and calm, but everything ran amuck in Taran's mind. His counterpart, whether he is a ghost or magic, was lingering in his thoughts like a bully. Taunting him with challenges, it got to where Taran believed Sir Taran was some kind of evil sprit playing him at his expense. A little grey shape bumped into him just as he thought of that.

"Gurgi so happy to see Taran!" he said, worry on his hairy face.

"I'm glad to see you Gurgi!" replied Taran. "Or anyone for that matter."

The creature looked as though he saw a ghost, which worried Taran. His legs shaking and eyes moving, Gurgi looked to his right and left in case something wouldn't jump out at him. He hoped his buddy Taran had some kind of weapon to smack it away. After an odd minute of silence, Gurgi settled down somewhat to explain why he was jittery.

"Gurgi very scared! Gurgi got chased by monster that looked like Gurgi! Gurgi ran and ran and heard monster say "gurgle, gurgle" and made Gurgi afraid! Monster chases Gurgi up hill into cave. Gurgi thought cave safe but Gurgi heard rumble, rumble and cave was really monster! Gurgi ran out and saw second monster as cave and second monster chased Gurgi! Gurgi ran and ran and escaped monster and now finds Taran!" he said.

"You were chased by monsters?" said Taran.

"Gurgi positive, but Gurgi needs munchies and crunchies," he said, sniffing the ground and eyeing Taran's pockets. "Gurgi knows you have munchie in pocket!"

Here he was recovering from a chase from monsters and now he wanted food? Gurgi, a character you just had to get used to. Yet if he was hungry, he might as well hand over the apple he plucked beside the stream, the one where he met Sir Taran.

"Oh all right," he said, lending it to the now happy Gurgi. "So you say this monster looked like you?"

"Monster looked like Gurgi, oh yes! Monster had same hair, face, everything! Even talked like Gurgi too, only monster say "Gurgle kill you!" Taran better be very careful for now on!" he said.

It struck the pigboy as scary, but supposedly this "Gurgle" was an embodiment of Gurgi. Could it very well be that beings were out and about copying the people of Prydain for evil purposes? What if they were on The Horned King's side? It made Taran feel sick.

"You know what, Gurgi?" he told him. "We should go together to save Dallben and find out just what's going on!"

He strode off; dumping the worry he had and replaced it with strong will. Gurgi, although not knowing where Taran was going, was nonetheless happy to follow along. The two hiked along the trails and woods, Gurgi talking and talking about the mysterious monster and the fiendish beast that tried to eat him in more detail. His babble went on until the sea was within sight, and with that a great shape floating in the distance.

"Now what could that be?" asked Taran.

"Gurgi don't know, looks like big ship," replied Gurgi.

It was a ship, but far bigger than both of them thought. When it was nearer, both looked on with wonder as the ship came to be a large wooden battleship with many oars moving along its sides. A giant serpentine head was carved on it's front, and it moved with speedy distance toward the direction of The Horned King. It looked as though it was in a hurry.

"It must be The Horned King's," mumbled Taran. "Whatever it's trying to do, it can't be good."

"Oh no, battleship will do bad, very bad," said Gurgi. "Big rush too, hey, let's chase!"

Gurgi suddenly sped off down the beach toward the west. Taran scowled and gave pursuit, knowing that although Gurgi was being reckless again, it could be for the better because he needed all the speed he could get if he hoped to save Dallben and Hen Wen.

The time went by at Caer Dallben and Mickey and Minnie were making progress. It wasn't easy to move all that broken wood, but it makes it so much better to just pile it up in a heap outside, until you had to get rid of it. Mickey was faced with this challenge as Minnie went about storing back the books that were knocked off. He could burn it up, but that might be dangerous in a place made up of wood.

"If only I was a sorcerer right now," he mumbled.

"Oh, Mickey!" called Minnie.

"What is it Minnie?" he called back.

"There's this letter here, signed by Dallben?" she said uncertainly.

Mickey almost jumped up in the air at the sound of the enchanter's name. He hurried inside the house and saw Minnie hold a dusty letter. He took it and read it to see who it was for.

_To Taran or whomever reads this_

_I am attacked by a person who strangely looks similar to me. That person happens to be Dall. He is an embodiment who wants something from me. Whatever you do, beware the…_

Dallben's handwriting was interrupted, likely because he was kidnapped right at that moment. Mickey looked up at Minnie and realized something new.

"So it wasn't The Horned King that attacked this place, huh?" he said.


	6. Chapter 6 Storming the Castle

Chapter 6 Storming the Castle

Donald felt small when he and the others strode up to the castle of The Horned King and looked right up at it. Fflewddur and Basil were worried that doing such a thing would make them sitting ducks for arrows, but apparently the hardy warriors up on the walls were stupidly gone, probably partying in some chamber. An opportunity like that would have made things easier if it wasn't for the drawbridge being up, and they didn't want to think about what was in the moat. The group hadn't of thought about how to breach a castle, but now they had to do that.

"What are we supposed to do now?" complained Donald. "There's no way we can get there with the bridge up!"

"Hush now, Donald," said Basil. "Let the great mouse detective solve this puzzle!"

The mouse eyed every possible opening and then looked around the area. Not too far away were some of the warriors lounging around chatting and laughing heartily, oblivious to them. Basil made a sly grin and huddled the Disney 80's League and Donald around to tell his plans.

"That old trick again?" asked Donald, uncertain.

"It never fails, does it?" replied Basil.

When their planning was done, all of them jumped to cover amongst the rocks and crawled toward the two men. Sitting around doing nothing, one warrior with a bushy beard was yanked down in the rock cracks while his buddy looked the other way. Before the captured warrior could raise an alarm, he was thumped by Donald and went out in a daze. Fagin's dogs helped pull off his baggy clothes and Fagin took the heavy clothing.

"I don't know if this will work guys," he whispered.

"All you gotta do is sound gruff like a palooka!" Donald told him.

"Yeah, but me doing this?" he said. "I don't sound all that vicious!"

There was no stopping now though, and here came Fagin donned in animal hides and horned helmet striding to the drawbridge feeling like an idiot. The others couldn't help but crack up at the look of him. He cleared his throat to make sure that all vocal cords would be strung and called to the wall.

"Hello, hey fellow warriors!" he called in the roughest voice he could muster. "I come from the land on an emergency!"

Two startled men peered over from the top of the wall, not recognizing this funny sounding voice. The one on the left was big and burly with a fat head and the other short and stout with a thick mustache. Fagin wanted to feel uncomfortable, but he looked up at the guards' with a stern face. The guards looked at each other, not sure what to do with this stranger.

"Who's this jester?" grumbled the guard on the left. "His own clothes don't fit him!"

"What do ya want?" called the other guard to Fagin. "Say what brings you here or we'll fire!"

"Not very friendly are they?" whispered Basil to his friends. "No matter, all of our chances of getting in the castle rest on his shoulders!"

This Fagin knew perfectly well, and he had to think fast. He twiddled his thumbs and brain stormed for possible ideas before settling on gut feelings. He looked up at the guards with an uneasy smile, the guards returning impatient glares.

"Well, I was on a campaign with my good old comrades near Caer Dallben!" he said, still putting on his gruff voice. "We went off to the forest when I found out my buddies were gone! So I thought if by chance, "Say, I bet they scurried on over to the castle for some partying!" Do ya know how sad it is for a poor little grunt like me to miss out on a party?"

The guards were indifferent for a moment, but suddenly the one on the left began tearing up. The other realized what Fagin was saying and welled up tears in his eyes. Then without anything holding back, the guards bawled in their sleeves. Fagin was not prepared to say the least.

"Oy, that be unfortunate," said the guard on the left, his eyes sparkly.

"Like missing your birthday!" cried the other one. "You poor grunt!"

"No food, no drink," whimpered his buddy. "No woman to dance around with, that's just sad!"

The drawbridge was lowered and landed in front of the incredulous Fagin. He had actually tricked these dumb guards. While they continued to mourn Fagin's false problem, he waved at the Disney 80's League, Donald, and Fflewddur to come over. Running to Fagin holding back fits of laughter; they all passed over the drawbridge and entered the castle. Those two guards resumed their guarding, switching back to their normal, rough look.

"Say, did you see a few shapes just come through?" asked the left one.

"Nah, couldn't see through my tears," muttered the other.

"Oh quit your muttering, ya big softie! I think we've been tricked!" snapped the other. "I knew there was something about that scallywag! Go fetch Creeper to check on him!"

The other guard went off to get the little goblin as his comrade turned back, wiping away a stray tear on his cheek. He didn't see that another person who was on a horse was approaching the drawbridge.

"I think I remember somethin' about that happenin' to me!" he whimpered. "Curse those forgetful dogs… who are you?"

…

Creeper was at the very place the guards so loved, the dark and dingy food hall. He was too busy dancing around with fat women before he was snatched out from the dance floor by the guard.

"What was that for?" he snapped. "I had me some fun there!"

"Listen up ya little green beast! There's some suspicious folks wanderin' in this castle! Try to look for a scrawny grunt with clothes too big for him!" the guard told him.

"An intruder?" gasped Creeper. "Oh no, he won't like that, no not at all!"

"That's right, and if ya don't find him right now I'll tell him you couldn't get him!" warned the guard.

Creeper squealed with fright and shot off out of the hall. The guard looked around for a drink until something from the darkness grabbed him on the chest and pulled him in.

"Not very good at guarding are you?" sniggered the young voice.

The post where the other guard should have been was left empty. He was thrown over into the moat. The drawbridge was left gaped open, and Taran stood there with Gurgi, both shocked.

"He got here first," said Taran, clearly disappointed.

"Gurgi think guards not bright," said Gurgi, shaking his head.

"Obviously, but how could he shoot his arrows up there?" said Taran.

Now he had little doubt Sir Taran was some kind of sprit. He and Gurgi went through the gates, but were still cautious. The last thing they wanted was to be caught. There were a few men to watch out, but for the most part they were able to venture deep. The one place Taran thought Dallben would be was the dungeon, and so he pressed further down that way to get there.

Dallben lied in his cell, contemplating all that happened to him. There was the raid, The Horned King's men, Hen Wen's squealing as she was dragged away, and the duel he had with Dall. The being looked very similar to him, except he was draped in long brown robes with a hood, giving him the appearance of a powerful wizard. He certainly had strength, but it was the men that got him, not Dall and his horrible monsters.

His old eyes looked at all the cold loneliness of the dungeon. This was no place for an old man. Taran was always on his mind. A noise crashed the silence, and a dark shape could be seen. His young appearance instantly made Dallben think of him, and when he saw his face, he believed it was him. But for whatever reason he was wearing armor, perhaps he came prepared to face those dirty men? No matter, the brave assistant pig keeper had come to save him.

"Taran, my boy, you came!" he exclaimed.

"Yes I have Dallben," said Sir Taran. "Let's get out of this dark dungeon."

The old man was all smiles as Sir Taran led him out of his cell, and so was the warrior, except he looked more amused than relieved. Smiling arrogantly, Sir Taran took Dallben away from the usual route to the end of the castle and led him straight to The Horned King's throne room.

"May I ask where we're going, Taran?" asked Dallben.

"Out of this castle, but in a different way," he replied over his shoulder. "You'll be safe and sound before long."

Footsteps could be heard, and both Tarans came face to face around the corner. They both looked equally surprised, but Dallben seemed to be confused at first. Then it finally struck him.

"This is not the Taran I know!" he said, looking at Sir Taran.

"You're not going anywhere, you evil sprit!" exclaimed Taran to Sir Taran angrily. "You _are _going to harm Dallben!"

Sir Taran didn't say anything, but gave the normal Taran a piercing glare, grabbed hold of Dallben's sleeve, and barreled through Taran and Gurgi with the enchanter. Knocked on the floor, the furious Taran jumped back up and ran faster than he did in a long time. Poor Gurgi couldn't keep up with his pursuing friend and was left behind.

…

"We are in very dangerous territory now," said Basil to everyone else. "If one of those brutes comes around, make cover!"

Donald was unhappy to be back here again, but the Disney 80's League felt great disgust over the musky smell, the dimness, and the menace. Fagin led the group, trying his best to not feel scared.

"Hey, what's your name old guy, Fewdur?" he said to Fflewddur. "Don't you know this place?"

"I most certainly do, and let me tell you that this place is more diabolical than you think! There has been imprisonment, torture, and execution! Why, I bet that demonic tyrant put people in these dungeons and left them to rot! It explains all of these skeletons hanging about!" he said.

"Hush Fflewddur, you're scaring the league," hissed Basil to Fflewddur as the characters trembled.

Some commotion began to rise up the further on they walked. Antsy feelings were in Basil, and Donald noticed him.

"What's wrong?" he asked him.

"I sense a-"but he was cut short by the harsh barking of a hound.

Its lightening appearance made them all jump and Widow Tweed stifled a scream. Fagin's dogs barked back and the hound found himself in a troublesome position. Badly outnumbered, the hound ran back to his post, eyeing the snarling dogs fearfully. A rough man with a knife stood over him with Creeper at his side. Now it was on.

Three things happened at once. The man threw his knife at Fflewddur, Fagin's dogs charged at the hound, and Creeper pounced on Donald. The knife was quickly dodged and stuck on the wall thanks to Fflewddur's quick thinking. Barking and whining filled the musty air as the bad hound was overwhelmed. Donald and Creeper had the most intense tussle they ever had with a lot of rolling, kicking, punching, and jumping. The man roared with disappointment and charged at Fflewddur, only to get a sound thump on the head by his harp. Widow Tweed and the mice cowered away from it all. The noise shot out into the dining hall and all the warriors dropped their food, grabbed their weapons, and ambled to the fight.

"You're going down, duck!" cried Creeper.

He struggled out of Donald's grip and leaped to one of the torches, picking it up and swinging it in his face. Donald hopped back so his feathers wouldn't be singed and the little goblin laughed mirthlessly.

"Nice of you to come back, we missed you!" he teased.

"I don't miss ya one bit!" quacked Donald.

He felt the hound's water bowl on the back of his foot and stomped on it, getting out of the way so it could get in Creeper's torch. Side-stepping at that exact second, Creeper made it splash on the frightened hound's face instead. He was still trying to evade the barking dog pack, and this blow made him have to shake the water off. By now the warriors from the hall rushed in and got a shower.

Precious seconds couldn't be wasted now, and the first to try to escape the scene was Fagin. He tripped and fell flat on his stomach before he could go anywhere though. The baggy hides he wore were now a burden on him. Creeper stared at him and smirked, forwarding his torch closer to his vulnerable bottom.

"Oh no ya don't!" snapped Donald, giving Creeper a kick.

Startled, the goblin tossed his torch into the air. Everyone within striking distance instantly backed off. The torch spun slowly in the air and came down near the bottom of the man who had the knife, lighting it on fire. The men laughed meanly at his frenzied panic.

"Don't just stand around you ruffians, get that duck and his friends!" cried Creeper.

Donald took advantage of the distraction and smacked the lit man right into the crowd. Now those men found themselves lit. Sparks and embers bounced from point to point, eating up animal hide as it went along. All of their fierce eyes were set firmly on Donald, and by a certain bad feeling he ran off in a flash. The whole league, Fflewddur, and especially Fagin followed suit.

"What about my pack, guys?" exclaimed Fagin as they ran away. "They're not with me!"

The pack wasn't with them because they were cut off from the charge. They saw nothing but legs and swords. As for the hound, he was released from his chain and joined the attackers. Todd and Copper were with the pack, not happy that they were separated from Widow Tweed. There was yet another spilt.

Corners were passed, feet trampled, and arms swinging. Before Donald's escape was short and quick, but now he was deeper than he ever had been and he had buddies with him. Creeper and the men were more determined to hunt the famous duck down. In fact, they had something eve more persistent than a hound. A small dragon with snapping teeth and blazing green eyes tried to bite madly at the escapees from the man holding him. It took a liking to Donald.

"Dragons?" he said. "Run faster guys!"

When they finally found an opening, it was out near the side of the castle overlooking the moat. At the sight of water, some of the men still bearing flames ripped out their coats and flung them down below with rage settling in. The good characters were stuck between water and the bad characters.

"Surrender now!" demanded Creeper. "You're going over or with us!"

"Little mongrel!" snapped Fflewddur. "I have had just about enough of all this running around! What do you want of us?"

"Oh, it's the old bard!" laughed Creeper as he jumped up on a perch to get closer. "Can you make a good song?"

"Ha, I sing quite wonderfully mind you," he replied. "Here, let me give a little tune."

Fflewddur strung a cord on his harp, making a nice little note. Donald and Basil wondered what he was trying to pull. The warriors would have liked to cut him in two, but Creeper was willing to listen.

Little Creeper had a nice sleep

Dreaming of the day we would all weep

Until one day Fflewddur Fflam came to see

How dear Creeper had come to be

So with a high laugh as Creeper had a sleep

He kicked the little goblin into the deep!

There was a wild scream as Fflewddur Fflam was true to his odd song and kicked Creeper off the perch and made him fall all the way down into the moat. Even though they never liked the creature very much, the warriors were shocked this old man could do such a thing. Battle cries rose harshly and all of the characters sped off on a chase again.

They ran and ran for what felt like miles, but the league and Donald were reenergized over the defeat of a major baddie. Donald even had a new like for old Fflewddur until they crashed into an armored figure and his plump captive around the corner. Shaking his head to get ride of the dizziness, Donald almost cried out when he saw Taran in his armor and helmet carrying Dallben, but something wasn't right. The enchanter was struggling to get out of the boy's grip, and Sir Taran looked at Donald with a twinge of badness in his eyes. There was no time to even think, as everyone else behind Donald tumbled into him and further got in Sir Taran's way.

"Get out of my way!" said Sir Taran to Donald.

"Please, stop this Shady Side!" exclaimed Dallben.

What was a shady side? He would have thought about it if it wasn't for the crowds swarming around him and the arrival of someone else. Someone darted past Donald and slowed down once caught in the rush. Taran was terrified when he realized he ran right into The Horned King's men. Shoving through like a bull, his devious counterpart blazed a path through and continued his run to the throne room. Donald had to follow Taran, because the Disney 80's League went past them and were out of sight.

"Hold on!" called Donald to Taran, but it was fruitless.

He thought he lost all of his feathers pushing through those bad guys, but Donald still had enough strength to follow the new chase. He sure was getting tired of all of the running, but now that he found Taran and especially Dallben, he knew that the end could be near if he caught up with that Taran look-alike. The hallways seemed never ending, and the footsteps ahead of Donald echoed around. One thing was pretty clear; he had to save Dallben!

Ahead of him, Taran was thanking his lucky stars that those men didn't follow him. He thought he saw a glimpse of white somewhere, but it hardly mattered right now. Dallben was in serious danger with the evil embodiment trying to take him away! He feared of what he might do with him when he reached the throne room.

"Here we are!" said Sir Taran as the large wooden doors stood ahead. "Soon victory will be mine!"

"Never!" cried Taran, who tackled Sir Taran just as soon as he opened the door.

They spilled out into the dreadfully dark throne room, and sure enough a brown shape was standing up above them. Taran was stricken with fear, but Sir Taran dutifully dragged the still struggling Dallben up to him. He had to do so carefully however because he didn't want to provoke this tyrant. He was taken aback when he noticed something unusual. The Horned King was swaying back and forth like a weed in the breeze, and when Sir Taran swung him around to face him, he turned out to be only a normal skeleton.

"Huh? What's the meaning of this?" asked Sir Taran.

"It means yer in a little tizzy, Sir Runalot!" said someone from above.

A big brown shape came out, revealing himself as Horny. Sir Taran stared at him with big surprise, never expecting him to show up. The normal Taran glared at the party crasher though.

"You again?" he snapped. "Haven't you appeared enough?"

"This is just the second time I appeared, pigboy!" grumbled Horny. "Anyways, I've got you surrounded, Sir Taran!"

"You radical fool!" complained Sir Taran. "Why are you trying to stop my coup?"

"Coup?" asked Dallben.

Donald arrived to see this unfold. When he saw Horny standing above Sir Taran, he wanted to go in there and thump him. That was all dropped when terrible sceerches were raised.

"Dragons!" said Taran.

"Nope, giant, man-eating birds are more like it!" said Horny. "And they're my giant, man-eating birds! Oh my not-so-little buddies!"

Horrible whooshing sounds swooped over Donald as two giant birds with piecring eyes and intimidating beaks landed in front of their master. Chortling with pleasure, Horny patted one on the head with his silly red eyes flashing. Sir Taran seemed hardly impressed though.

"It'll take more than that to stop me!" he said.

"Oh, my little buddies!" called Horny like a stereotypical mother.

Scurrying out in grotesque movements, the strange monsters approached Sir Taran with hands outstretched. Sir Taran was about to slice them away with the magic sword until an idea came to him. With a grin, he put his sword back.

"How silly of me," he said. "Trying to fight back at my former master? I should be asking you for help for my coup to work."

"What is this coup of which you speak of?" asked Dallben.

"It's a secret, but it would be pointless to have you not hear since I'm taking you with me!" he replied.

Sir Taran snatched Dallben again and approached Horny. Before the old enchanter could get away, he put a rope around him to restrain him. Taran rushed to the three of them despite the birds.

"I'm coming with you Horny," said Sir Taran. "We can talk from there."

"Fine my little warrior, but don't pull something on me!" warned Horny. "You're still partners with Dall!"

"Yes, but I can work something out," added Sir Taran. "Now go before the pigboy gets me!"

He narrowly avoided a blow from Taran as he mounted the bird with the tied Dallben and rose high up into the air. Taran latched onto the bird's bottom on the last second and scrambled to reach them, going high up into the air for the ride. Donald turned to Horny. How did Pete get these kinds of monsters on his side? Maybe the big palooka hated The Black Cauldron so much that he wanted to invade it and mess it up? Horny laughed at Donald's dirty look.

"I'll admit it Donald, I hate The Black Cauldron!" he said. "But it's not because of what ya think!"

Like shadows going away, the minions left. The second bird was mounted by Horny, and it jumped into the air and spread its wings to leave until Donald jumped up on it too. With a cry, Horny shoved Donald off. He bounced right back up and followed the departing villain as he flew away. When he was outside, he saw a battleship docked at the side of the castle near the sea. Both of the birds were soaring toward it, and it looked as though Taran was still on board the first one. Even at such a distance Donald could tell that he was in a great match with Sir Taran over Dallben. However, Sir Taran pulled out the magic sword and swiped it at Taran, missing him. But that was all it took for him to lose balance and fall off into the water below.

"Taran!" exclaimed Donald.

The castle was abandoned at the moment because all of the men were still pursuing the Disney 80's League. He was at the beach before he knew it, and Taran was brushed up onto shore in a pitiful state. He looked so defeated that Donald only took him to higher ground and left him there to recover.

"Now we're all alone," he muttered. "Where are you guys?"

…

The Disney 80's League had finally escaped the castle alive. They had lost the men back in the dungeons, getting them in so much of a dizzy that they were able to leave without much danger. The dragons could have gotten them, but they made them run into walls and narrow entrances so they would stop chasing them. Everyone was relieved to be out in the sun again except for Fagin, who was sad over his dogs getting lost.

"Never fear Fagin!" said Basil. "You're dogs are an intelligent bunch!"

"Oh, I know," he sighed. "But in a place like that… it's pretty hard."

"There, there," said Widow Tweed. "My Todd is in there too, and Copper as well!"

"I just hope they can be all right," said Jenny.

Fflewddur was still proud of himself for getting rid of Creeper, but it did disappoint him that there was no sign of Taran. He didn't see him when he was chasing Sir Taran.

"A dreadful shame that we couldn't find Taran," he said. "Say, what is that doing there?"

They looked at the beach, and there was the battleship. Scores of minions were putting materials and barrels on board. They looked at each other funny, and then Fflewddur realized something.

"If I remember right, I do believe those witches said we should go to that battleship," he said. "My word, I led us to the wrong place."

"You did!' exclaimed all members of the Disney 80's League.

"Yes, I did," he said with a guilty smile.

"Then what in the devil are we waiting for? We must board that ship!" said Basil.

And the league hurried to the ship with the same mission, but in the correct place. Of course, they didn't see Taran lying on the grass with Donald.

…

Meanwhile, Fagin's dog pack was hanging out in the dungeons.

"Well look at us now! All lost in some skeleton king's dump!" complained Tito.

There was a curious pig in a nearby cell, thankful that there might be rescuers next door. That pig happened to be Hen Wen.


	7. Chapter 7 The Shady Side

Chapter 7 The Shady Side

After hours of cleaning and sweeping, Mickey and Minnie Mouse had managed to return Caer Dallben back to normal for the most part. Even though he wasn't a sorcerer, Mickey did slightly better than he thought he did with the waste products. Maybe it was because the arrival of Eilonwy turned things around, when she just so happened to walk to the doorstep and ask what was the matter with Taran's home. A helping hand could not have been more accepting, and now that it was done the mice and princess sat at a table to rest for a while.

"If only we knew where Donald could be," sighed Minnie.

"I'm sure he must be out searching for Taran and Fflewddur," said Eilonwy.

"Oh, I bet," said Mickey. "Donald's a really big adventurer!"

…

Donald had enough of the adventuring. It was bad enough trying to drag an unconscious Taran through the countryside, but having to think about where the Disney 80's League ran off to was stressful. At least they knew more about this stupid kingdom than he did. Was even a village around here? Caer Dallben was a ways away from the beach, and it made Donald weary just thinking about the distance.

"Aw, phooey," he mumbled. "It's been nothing but back and forth to Taran's house and that castle!"

"Oh," breathed Taran.

Donald turned to where he was dragging Taran and saw that he was slowly moving. Happy that he was starting to be conscious, he let go of his feet and waited for him to come to. His eyes opened, and a concerned Donald stood over him.

"You," he said. "Did you save me?"

"I saw ya," he replied. "You just washed up on shore and I had to drag you a little,"

Taran looked around to see that he was away from the beach. He then looked to the sea and saw that the battleship holding Dallben captive was gone. Energy welled up back into him, and he stood up to that direction. Donald had a feeling that he was going to be mad when awakened. He was so close to saving the enchanter anyway.

"You know what, Donald?" he asked the duck while he still faced the water. "I'm not mad at you anymore."

"That's good," said Donald.

"I'm mad at Sir Taran and Horny now," he said.

"Oh boy, they better watch out now!" replied Donald playfully. "Knowing how you can get, it shouldn't be too hard to give them a good thumpin'!"

Taran gave Donald a small smile and then walked off ahead of him. He had to admit the duck had charm. It was just that it was so long ago that they had met that their relations soured over the years. Now that he got to know him better, he felt a little guilty of being hard on him.

"We best get on our way back home," he said. "Then we can talk about how to save Dallben."

"Believe me, I wanna save him too," said Donald. "But Mickey's coming to Caer Dallben!"

"Really?" said Taran. "Huh, well we can have all the help we can get."

It hit him before he could go any further. With a frightened stare at The Horned King's castle, Taran just realized something.

"Gurgi!" he exclaimed.

…

Underneath the cargo of Horny's battleship, the Disney 80's League was packed in tight. It was a wonderful idea for Basil and Dawson, but it was a pesky one for the bigger members. All the mice had to do was take a spot in the crates and stay there. As for everyone else, they had to squeeze into barrels, not a very comfortable way of hiding.

"If this thing starts rolling I'm gonna be so sick," mumbled Fagin.

"I'm too old for this!" piped Widow Tweed. "It's perfectly dreadful to be in a position like this while still worrying about my poor Todd!"

"The dogs will escape that horrible castle soon enough!" said Basil, a little flustered with the complaining. "Now we just need to expose the secrets behind Horny!"

"Well, we're on the ship now so I highly suggest we leave these tight corners and investigate!" said Fflewddur.

Strange movements suddenly came up and everyone hushed. The first one to be spotted was what looked like a little green elf in a tunic. He was smiling as he strode by with his little cane, not looking like much of a threat. His counterpart was a very weird sight however. It looked like a green hat stand, but it had a shrunken elf head with pink eyes like a fly and a long curled tunic. A dirty handkerchief flapped behind its head as it hopped awkwardly behind the elf.

"Everything's going just swell!" said the little green elf. "The boss is happy as pie with what that Sir Taran is about to tell him!"

"Yesssss," said the freakish creature behind him. "He'ssss got a gooood plan."

When the odd duo was out of sight, Basil quietly left his crate with Dawson tagging along.

"Hey, where are you going?" asked Fflewddur. "Surely you're not just leaving us here?"

"You may come along if you stay absolutely quiet," said Basil. "Since we are smaller, we will be going to see just what this person is plotting."

Fflewddur was willing to do anything to get out of that barrel, and so he squeezed out, with the others doing the same. Basil and Dawson were sneaking right behind the elves and just before the little elf could close the door he opened, they got past it. Now they took cover underneath the elf creature and tried to stay behind the other as best as they could. By doing this, they would eventually reach the room where the talk was taking place.

The moaning of the ship could be heard as they walked down the wooden hallway. The rocking was noticeable too, and it made the mice a little wheezy having to take it in. Since there were no windows, it was unclear how far out in the sea they were, but Basil had a feeling they were staying close to shore.

"Here we are," said the elf. "Stay quiet now."

Slowly opening the door, Horny and Sir Taran watched them come in. Basil and Dawson were not seen because they were too small for them to see from the table. The mouse detective assumed the elves were henchmen for Horny because no other minions would have an opportunity like this to hear their master's plans in a real meeting.

"Come on in, Cricket and Stick!" said Horny. "Sir Taran is so giddy to explain his plan to me!"

"Oh yes I am!" he replied with a snigger. "It may make an advantage for me, but it'll benefit you too, Horny! Make no mistake about that!"

"Well ya big rascal, go out with it!" urged Horny.

Sir Taran composed himself as the mice hid from underneath the table.

"Dyrnwyn," said Sir Taran. "It was once the sword that belonged to the king before The Horned King came to power. Well, with the power of this blade, I shall rule as High King of Prydain!"

"Wow," said Cricket. "So that means…"

"The Horned King must be deposed!" said Sir Taran. "And here's how it's going to work. I'm sure that those burly warriors of his are treated like tools, and so when we appeal to them with our strength and I offer them a much better time under me, we will be unstoppable! That's when we'll use the black cauldron you got from the witches. Once I claim the throne, you'll be free to change Prydain as long as it's fine with me. Together Horny, we will change this kingdom from the image Disney wanted to paint it to the true world it is!"

As Basil digested Sir Taran's plans, Horny chuckled darkly. He sure liked what this kid was saying! He had to give him some slack for being so hungry for power, because he needed somebody to knock off The Horned King, and Sir Taran would do just fine! So what if he still had some loyalty for that traitor Dall, a victory was being made here!

"I like your plan, kid! You're definitely a lot better than that pigboy! No wonder he keeps day dreaming of being like you!" he said.

"He should have gone to action instead of taking care of pigs!" retorted Sir Taran. "Whatever, he'll soon be sorry for not following his dream, because it'll soon be mine!"

_The villainous scoundrel _thought Basil. He had to go back to the league and tell them all he heard. He did not know that they were right behind the door and eavesdropping, hearing it all in the process. Fflewddur wanted to go in and give that boy a piece of his mind. His voice was exactly like Taran, but he knew that he was not him but some kind of lookalike.

_I've never heard of such rubbish! What does this boy think he is? Wanting to depose The Horned King and make himself High King? I bet he would be no better than the skeletal devil! And what makes him think his idiot men will fall for him? If only I can barge in there and show him what for! _It was irritating enough to think of how there could be two Tarans, but now his commitment to the league's efforts was stronger than ever.

"So what did you want with that old fool Dallben?" asked Sir Taran to Horny.

"I wanted to snatch him because I didn't want your Dall to take advantage of the old coot! But now that you're on my side, I might as well hand him over," he said.

"Good!" replied Sir Taran. "You're not going to regret this!"

Stick, the skinny elf minion, began twitching his long nose and buzzed like an insect.

"What's the matter, Stick?" asked Cricket. "Smell something funny here?"

"Ridiculous, there can't be intruders on this ship!" said Sir Taran.

"There isssss," hissed Stick. "And they're righttttt underneath this table."

_Curses, we've been detected _thought Basil. The freaky creature sure was sensitive. Here came a big black hand of Horny's underneath the table, brushing against the underside to feel for them. The mice looked to the closed door and saw shadows in the narrow opening below. That meant that someone was out there. Because he didn't know that they were his friends, Basil believed they were cornered. Frightened, they were quickly terrified when they turned their heads to see the glowing face of Horny in theirs, his eyes flashing with amusement.

"What have we got here?" he chortled. "Two little mice that snuck on in and heard our plan, that's what!"

Before Basil and Dawson could retaliate, Horny seized them and brought them up on the table. He held them down on the table as Sir Taran lowered the magic sword over their bodies, the sword glowing with dangerous fire inside.

"So I guess Taran wasn't the only one?" he asked with a laugh. "You must be his friends! Prepare to die, you sneaky vermin!"

"Halt I say!" commanded Fflewddur Fflam as he burst into the room.

"Well, it's the old bard guy!" exclaimed Horny with surprise. "We've got another visitor here!"

"Release them you fiend!" he demanded. "You, you Taran copycat! How dare you suggest taking over our kingdom!"

Before anyone could react, he dove at Sir Taran and shoved away. The sword clattered on the ground and flared ferociously, catching the wooden room on fire. With horror, Horny yelled with fright and tried to smother the flames, but it was eating away too quickly. While he was distracted, Fflewddur snatched the mice and ran from the room with the others. Cricket and Stick gave pursuit.

"To arms everybody! There goes some intruders!" cried Cricket.

Like rats coming out to feed, Horny's minions shifted out and spotted the Disney 80's League running toward the deck above. Screeches and cries that chilled them were raised. The run to the deck was short because of the flight of stairs that took them quickly up there, but with each step the cries were rising higher and higher. Once they were up there, they saw that the shore was in sight, but not close enough for them to swim to it safely. As the creatures appeared from the stairs, they smiled wickedly for they knew the league was stuck.

"What now?" said Fflewddur. "They have us surrounded!"

There were more minions up here too, and it was a fine mess for all of them. Shapes big and small huddled around them before they could think anymore. Before long, Horny and Sir Taran appeared to see the league at the mob's mercy.

"Yep, just as I thought!" chuckled Horny.

"It's not over yet, you big villain!" snapped Fflewddur.

Even if it was against the odds, he took out his harp and started whacking away the creatures in a rush to get to the side of the battleship. For every monster he smacked, another grabbed hold on him.

"Help me!" he called to his friends. "I can't do this alone!"

The others tried to push and shove to him so they could be free, but the mass of creatures was too great. They eventually piled on top of them and fetched the rope so they could tie them up. Sir Taran could only chuckle at it all.

"Too bad!" he told him. "It'll take more than desperation to defeat us!"

"Come on boys, take him to Dallben's cell!" ordered Horny to the minions dragging them away. "They can moan and pout with him!"

…

After searching around the castle for a weak spot, Taran and Donald dug away at one to see the inside of a dungeon. Donald told himself in his mind that this would be the last time he would ever reenter this place. But as if lady luck smiled upon them, there was a relieved oink that greeted them.

"Hen Wen!" exclaimed Taran, overjoyed.

Sure enough, they had breached right into the oracle pig's cell. Hen Wen was scampering her hoofs on the wall in anticipation of being rescued, and Taran jumped down to the floor to get to her. Donald was just as glad as the pig when it came to getting out of this castle.

"I thought they would've turned you into pork by now!" said Taran to Hen Wen. "But that will never happen."

Then the barking came. Spooked, Taran and Donald froze in fear because they thought it was the hounds again, but they was all put aside when a whole pack of friendly street dogs came running and licked the two all over.

"It's Fagin's dog pack!" exclaimed Donald in surprise. "Whoa! Don't lick my bill like that, Einstein!"

"So you're not The Horned King's hounds after all!" said Taran, laughing as the dogs licked him all up. "Where did you come from?"

"Humph, well I guess I'll have to explain to ya," said Donald. "Get off me, Tito!"

Once the dogs let go of Donald, he cleared his throat and then explained everything about the Disney 80's League, from the members to their goal of helping The Black Cauldron succeed. Taran was so transfixed and fascinated that Donald knew that the old feelings were wearing off. No more uncooperative nagging, that just made it a whole lot easier.

"So they care?" asked Taran.

"Yep, they care," answered Donald.

"Wow, I never knew this day would come," said Taran as he looked at the happy dogs around him. "Did you hear that, Hen Wen? Once I rescue Dallben, we may just make a comeback!"

It was strange how everything seemed to be turning around for him. Dallben was still captured, but now that he had the help of friendly characters, it seemed like a brighter cause to go and rescue him. All they had to do at this moment was find Gurgi.

"Come on everyone, let's go find Gurgi!" urged Taran, and they went to look for him.

To their surprise, it looked as if the men were all back in the food hall partying instead of still searching for them. Donald thought that they must have just given up.

"Let's go and check on these lazy palookas just to see what the deal is," said Donald quietly.

It did sound like something was going on there, so everyone followed Donald to the entrance and peeked around the corner. There were so many of the men huddled around that they could not see what it was that they were watching, but then there was a break in the crowd as a couple of brawny men were trying to snatch a dancing Gurgi, who was having fun evading them.

"No!" cried Taran, and before Donald could stop him he rushed right into the scene.

The men were unprepared to see Taran come into the fray. Donald and the dogs sprang into action, ready for a fight. Donald took a torch and the dog pack growled at all of the enemies.

"We're not running all over the castle this time!" exclaimed Donald.

…

Dallben was having a melancholy rest when the Disney 80's League and Fflewddur were taken into his cell. Sad thoughts of home shrouded his old mind, and of course, Taran and Hen Wen were always in him. So when he opened a heavy eyelid to see his new cell mates, a new, small hope began to light up within him.

"Ah, and who might you be?" he asked them.

"Dallben, we are the Disney 80's League," explained Basil to him.

He went on to explain everything the league stood for and what its objectives were. The old enchanter listened intently, mystified to have helpers from other lands. He could only imagine how delighted Taran would be if he knew of this strange, but fine group. Oh, where could that boy be?

"Now, about our predicament here," continued Basil, staring at the cell around him uneasily. "We must escape."

"Escaping would be quite difficult this time," said Fflewddur. "We should know that much by now."

"Escape would be for nothing," said Dallben. "We can only wait for wherever these foul beings are taking us."

The cell where they were kept had no windows. All there was to be used was the door in which the guard would come to offer dismal meals or stand on watch. Right now he was off eating lunch with the other minions, but the door was locked.

"We can't just sit idle for our possible doom!" said Basil. "There must be a way."

The only thing left in the room that could be penetrable was the wooden floor. They had seen what the magic sword did to it in the meeting room, and Basil was certain it did considerable damage. However, they had no access to fire here. Neither did they have weapons to cut it.

"All we can do is hope the others may still be out there," said Dallben.

"If only we knew what those villains are planning to do to us!" piped Widow Tweed.

"They'll plan something for us before long!" huffed Fflewddur.

Sure enough, Horny and Sir Taran were back in their meeting room to discuss the demise of their prisoners. After staring at the charred spot on the floor with angered red eyes, Horny returned his weird gaze to the scheming young warrior while twiddling his black thumbs with unrest.

"The sooner those losers are dead meat, the better!" he grumbled.

"Believe me Horny, I wish they were executed too," replied Sir Taran with a cold look. "But Dall wishes to have Dallben for something, and you cannot have my help unless he has him!"

"Bah, Dall's a weird guy," said Horny. "But…if he has to have the old geezer, then whatever!"

"After that we can get rid of the others!" added Sir Taran, a wicked gleam in his eyes and a disturbing grin to go with that.

It was settled, Horny's battleship would take them to Dall's lair, an island with a farmhouse resembling very much like Caer Dallben. Once he got his clutches on the enchanter, Horny would take the Disney 80's League out to the sea and feed them to the sharks. As much as Sir Taran would love to watch, he would have to stay with Dall in order to plan for the wooing of The Horned King's men so they could go against their master. Then the throne could possibly be within the boy's reach.

…

At the battleship's intended destination, Dall the other old enchanter watched the dark waters of the sea from the beach of his island. Draped in a hooded cloak, only his baggy face of many dark wrinkles and his watery eyes of bright white could be seen. Identical to Dallben, the only difference was that Dall took a bad side of him. He was awaiting the arrival of something small and hairy hurrying toward him. It looked like Gurgi, but he was a lot uglier than him. He was dragging a little fighting goblin.

"Gurgle found Creeper! Here Creeper is!" he said.

"Well done, Gurgle, you have done well," said Dall. "Now take him to me so I can get to him."

Gurgle threw Creeper on the ground at Dall's feet. Creeper had been fighting harshly the whole time since the Gurgi clone nabbed him from the river, but he eyed the enchanter with fear.

"So, you foolish little mongrel, where is The Horned King?" he asked. "Answer me quickly before I lay a horrid curse upon your head!"

"Oh, him?" he said. "Uh, didn't you know? Sire went to House of Mouse! He said he wanted to search for information regarding the black cauldron!"

"Did he? So he will not be back before long?" he asked.

"Probably not, no," he replied.

Dall raised his head back and laughed. Before Creeper knew what hit him, a wild spell crashed into him and knocked him out cold. With his eyes hard, he pointed a finger at Gurgle.

"Take him someplace where he will never escape from my grasp!" he said. "Perhaps when Sir Taran comes to power, he can witness himself get replaced by a shady side! Hahaha!"

"Gurgle just knows Shady Sides will prevail! Yep!" he said as they walked together back to the house with the dazed Creeper.

"Precisely, and even though I disagree with that brash Horny, I am sure we will come up with a solution to our problem and be united once more!" he said.

The very thought only made him laugh harder. He opened the door and Gurgle went to take Creeper into a cell and throw him in. At the table sat the shady side of Creeper.

"Yay!" he cheered. "You got him! Now I'm not gonna be the clone anymore! Oh yes, no more!"

"Celebrate later, Creepy," said Dall. "As shady sides, we have been born from years of obscurity, and The Black Cauldron has certainly had its fill. The Horned King is not a weak one, but if even he is away at this time, then we must prepare for a change in power to come. Soon, my boy, Sir Taran, will become High King of Prydain. With the current king gone, it will only make it more of a reality. Imagine my counterparts, a Prydain in which it should be! No more shall Disney shape it up to be the way it is now, we will restore it to its former glory! I and Horny shall reach a deal and then once the Shade Dimension arrives, it will be a new beginning! Of Course, to the others, our "original" characters, it is the end!"

"But what about Dall?" asked Gurgle.

"Once that fool Dallben has perished by the dimension, I shall acquire his powers for my own. That is what must happen for our wishes to be granted," he said.

Meanwhile, Creeper recovered from the blow Dall dealt him and was listening to the wicked enchanter's plans for the future. It was needless to say that the goblin was afraid.

"I hope sire returns soon," he whimpered.

…

In Caer Dallben, Mickey, Minnie, and Eilonwy were leaving Caer Dallben to search for Donald now that the cleanup was finished. They left Dallben's warning letter in the house in case Donald escaped from where he was and arrived.

"I do hope they're not too far away," said Eilonwy. "It would be very bad if they happened to be in The Horned King's castle."

"Tell me about it," said Mickey, sticking his tongue out at the mention of it. "I bet Donald would hate that a lot."


	8. Chapter 8 Escape

Chapter 8 Escape

As Horny's battleship sailed to the island of the ominous enchanter, the Disney 80's League began to think their prospects of survival were small at best. Even Basil was stumped on how to get away from it all. When the great mouse detective starts thinking like that, it would be best to just face judgment. Horny knew this would be the case, and how delighted he was that it came to be. The island was soon upon them.

"I can just see that old man's wrinkly face right before me!" he said to Sir Taran.

"Yes, Horny, and no interruptions are going to get in our way this time!" he replied.

Once they were docked at the beach, Sir Taran quickly went to the farmhouse to see his master. For his part, Dall was as snug as he could be on his chair with a cat similar to Dallben's laid on his lap. When the ambitious warrior entered, the enchanter smiled strangely.

"Well, well, I would not have thought Horny would come back to me like this," he said.

"Save it, Dall, you're the one that's trying to buddy up with me again!" piped up Horny, who was right behind his companion.

Taking out Dyrnwyn, Sir Taran laid the sword on Dall's desk. He inspected it with keen pleasure, taking in the shine in his face.

"At last my lad, I can sense the day when we will rise again," said Dall.

"I know Dall, but there's something I need to show you," replied Sir Taran.

With the pesky minions forcing them in the door, the bounded captives staggered to the front of the desk. Sir Taran gestured to Dall of their arrival as though they were a prize he claimed, and in a sense they were. If they escaped, they would have gone straight to Caer Dallben and alerted everyone of the trouble brewing.

"Interesting," said Dall as he scrutinized them. "I would not have thought outsiders would try to topple our plan. And to think Dallben and Fflewddur are among them! Come now; can you not see how we are trying to mend our curse? Surely you know that if you had not interfered, we would have left you be?"

Fflewddur laughed at that, for he knew their "curse" was really an unlucky event that happened long ago when the movie first premiered. Slacking out of the bonds the minions cut, the bard folded his arms and began to address his full thoughts.

"Now that I've seen the two of you, I can remember clearly what this is all about. So you say you're trying to mend your curse? Well, I can tell you that this nonsense is simply that, nonsense! All you are really trying to do is conquer Prydain! And you should know why. Back when The Black Cauldron was still being produced, you became obsolete ideas and were put in the waste basket, the dreaded place for animated characters. It appears that has made you who you are today! This is simply a revenge plot!"

Dall did not say anything for a while, but then chuckled at the temper coming out of Fflewddur's words. He came over and gave him a pat on the shoulder, with the bard lurching back like he was touched by ice. Despite the usual warmth in a normal character's skin, a shady side's was cold.

"You know more than some would think, Fflewddur! Perhaps you are right, this is revenge. But you do realize that it's justified revenge? All these days we have been cowering in the shadows, far below the caves the fairies live, in much worse conditions than you original characters. You and your kind have never thought of us. If you did care for the shady sides, we would not be doing what we are now. Because of your ineffectiveness, we are taking matters into our own hands."

Fflewddur was disgusted with the selfish tone in Dall's voice. He took a look at Sir Taran, and with a quick move that the minions were too slow to stop, he poked him in the arm. That was strange, his skin felt light compared to a shady side's rough coldness.

"You're not a shady side," he said. "Just who are you?"

"Oh, I don't know, a magical embodiment maybe?" he said with a hint of ridicule in his voice.

"Who told you that?" replied Fflewddur.

"The pigboy Taran who will be playing in the mud with swine while I sit on the throne!" he said with a belittling smile.

Fflewddur wanted to poke him harder, but doing so would ignite the rage in Dall and the minions that surrounded him, and that would not be too smart. For Dall, he was curious in what he did.

"I can see you are curious of us, Fflewddur," he told him. "Indeed, Sir Taran is not a shady side, but he is still an oddity in this world. Before you rebuke me about saying why we are putting a non-shady side in charge, I will say that we need someone with enough strive to bring us to power. Bear in mind that I will also acquire powers from this fellow over here."

He strode over to Dallben. They gave each other hard stares before Dall began to mutter something under his breath. A nearby bucket began to glow with magic, and then suddenly the room was full of light. Startled, the league made way as Dallben was being taken to the oracle with Dall. There at the spot was an ugly little pig with its mouth in the oracle.

"Do you see, Dallben? That's your boy, Taran, and your pig, Hen Wen," said Dall with a disturbing tenderness in his voice.

An image of Taran and Hen Wen was in the water, moving along down what seemed a hallway. However, there was also a third shape with them. Confused, Dall peered closer to see the vision of a duck.

"What would this be?" he asked.

Sir Taran came to his side and was taken aback instantly. Shocked, the warrior looked closer to make sure it was really what he thought it was. That duck was the same one he saw in the The Horned King's throne room! He and the other two stopped and began to fight large, bulky shapes with whatever they had their hands on. Then here came Gurgi darting across the surface.

"I know what that is," he growled with contempt. "It's that duck that was chasing me with Taran! And it looks like he saved him from the ocean too!"

"Huh, what's all this about?" said Horny as he made his way to the oracle. "You've gotta be kidding me!"

…

With warriors trying to fight tooth and nail to get him, Donald tried his best to deal a mighty blow to them all for putting him through so much stress. At first he wanted to bonk that Gurgi for getting him into this fix, but now all he could think about was getting out of here for good. Thumping a head here and tripping a leg there, he made his way to Taran, who was fighting to retrieve Hen Wen from one of the men.

"Hiya!" cried Donald as he karate kicked the brute to force him to drop the pig.

Taran snatched her and darted off to the hallways just as a pair of small dragons tried to dig their claws in him. The restrained creatures instead tumbled right into the mob and knocked many of them down. With a clear way out with no weapons at their noses, the dog pack took off to follow Donald as he tried to catch up with Taran. Furious battle cries were signaled by the men while they gave pursuit.

Not again did they want to see that duck get away. Axes, knifes, and even a broom were hurled at him, but they all missed because he was frantic for escape. With a snarl, one of the men stopped to unleash the chains holding the snapping dragons to their post. They took off with fierce speed to the runners.

"Look out Donald, Gwythaints!" warned Taran.

Donald could just hear their noises screeching up behind him. He picked up a fallen sword and swiped it at them to keep them at bay. But as he did that, the men were getting closer, so instead he decided to run backwards while flailing the blade. One of the dragons snapped its mouth on the sword and locked Donald in a tug-of-war while the other dragon tried to attack him. He ducked to avoid its bite and then with a powerful kick sent it flying into the mob. With a yell, the man that was attacked threw his club and knocked the dragon holding Donald's sword unconscious. Then it was back to running.

"Follow me! I know where to go!" yelled Taran to everyone.

What he did was lead Donald, the dogs, and Gurgi to the side of the castle overlooking the moat. With a great dive, the boy and his pig plunged into the water below. Donald, the dog pack, and Gurgi did the same, and everything was blue and silent as the water swallowed them. The current quickly took them down the moat and away from the men looking above. They did not try to attack from there because such attempts would not have worked, so they only watched. Donald could not remember anything else except water until they eventually brushed upon the beach, soaking wet, but safe.

"Phooey, no more of that!" said Donald.

"Finally, now it's time to go home!" said Taran. "Gurgi, try to keep up next time!"

"Gurgi tried to keep up, yep, but Taran just mad at other Taran," he told him.

"Well, I guess I was a little careless," he admitted. "But enough of that, we need to go back to Caer Dallben and try to rescue Dallben!"

With that said, they departed for the farmhouse, never knowing that they were being spied on by the shady sides. They also did not know that Dall had dispatched Gurgle to capture them next.

…

"That Gurgle guy better get em'!" pouted Horny. "Keep Donald at large, and yer gonna ask for trouble!"

"Never fear," said Dall. "He seems like the fool that would strive to stop our wish."

The Disney 80's League had a confidence deficiency until now. Smiling that Donald was safe at the moment; they all knew that even with that foul Gurgle on the hunt he would ultimately get away. Dallben was the happiest, because now that his boy Taran was going to rescue him, he took back all those times when he looked down on his dreaming of being a hero.

"I see your smile, old man," muttered Sir Taran with hatred in his voice. "Well, it won't last for long!"

"I must say this," said the old enchanter. "You all shall meet your defeat. Donald, that charming duck, will be the hero of this land. And my dear assistant pig keeper will be nothing short of one as well. You believe that The Black Cauldron is obscure and petty, but it will rise. However, it will not be because of the shady sides, but because of the true characters that was intended to be in this film. Simply remaking Prydain will not accomplish your wish, but rather hinder it. Go through with it, and you will fail. But if you join this fine group of characters, we can all work together to bring this film to life and make firm our faith to Disney."

He said this with a smile as he looked at each shady side, league member, and sprit in the face. A silence was set on the room. Even the outspoken Horny was quiet. Basil gave Dallben a grin and Dall came to him with a simple look. He sighed and said this.

"What you say is touching, my original character. But it cannot be done. Do you know why that is? We are all below someone else. Even Horny is not our master. Would you like to know who this might be?" he said.

For the first time, Sir Taran stared at Dall with outrage. Horny seemed to cower, shrinking to the floor.

"No, don't tell them," he said with fear. "She'll destroy us all!"

"Who is it?" asked Basil.

"Oh no, don't do it!" he pleaded Dall.

"I must tell them. Horny… is not Pete!" exclaimed Dall.

The shady side wailed with pity. Dall came up to the creature and froze him with a mighty spell, stopping all his agony.

"Horny is a dweller of the brown robe in which he wears. He was owned by the three witches, but he made a deal with them. He would help them turn Prydain into the witches' image, and they would let him possess Pete's body. When the big fool bought the robe and used it that was how he took control of him. That is why I am against him. He is a fraud!" he explained.

When he turned to look at the league, he saw that Sir Taran had gone. Then a fear sprang upon him.

"He went to alert them!" he gasped.

The Disney 80's League and Dallben looked around the house anxiously. Then a storm cloud descended over it within a few minutes. With another wail that broke the spell, Horny sprinted out of there and came out to see the witches looking down upon him. Sir Taran stood with all the minions at his back.

"Traitor!" he yelled at Horny. "You would've used the witches to shape this kingdom, not me!"

All the league members came outside and gaped at the witches. Fflewddur came up bravely to confront them. He could not believe that these ladies were to blame for so much trouble going around.

"So you are behind all of this?" he asked.

"Oh, my good old bard!" said Orwen, batting her eyelashes.

"Do not even go there, madam! It was bad enough that you three chased me through the forest, but scheming behind all our backs? That is quite tasteless of all of you! Making a bargain with this Horny fellow is a fraud!" he complained.

Stung by his rant, the witches hissed menacingly and swooped down upon Horny with a howl of wind. Horny looked like he was shrinking once again, now becoming a lump on the ground with the hags circling around him like sharks.

"So that's why Sir Taran called for us!" hissed Orgoch. "You let our bargain slip!"

"It wasn't me!" begged Horny. "It was that back-stabbing Dall! He wants to rule this stupid kingdom!"

"You mean me!" said Sir Taran. "I should have known better than trust someone like you! Take him off!"

The entire storm cloud settled on top of Horny, and no one could see what became of the false Horned King. All they heard was more pleading that fell on deaf ears as the wind howled louder. The league was terrified of it all, and Dallben could not believe his old eyes. When it finally ended, they saw only a brown robe lying there, with no lump hiding it.

"They took him away!" said Fagin.

"Serves him right," said Sir Taran. "Take the captives! It must be feeding time for the sharks right now."

But the Disney 80's League had enough of being captives. They retreated back into the house of Dall, slamming the door shut on the minions outside. Creeper, who was listening what was going on the whole time from his cell, decided that maybe these characters would be his ticket to freedom.

"Hey, let me out of here!" he called.

"Who would that be?" asked Basil.

He went to the source of the call while Dallben approached Dall.

"Please, I know that you want my powers, but this has simply gone too far. I fear your boy is planning something dreadful!" he said.

"I still have not told you who our true master is," replied Dall. "She is The Head Hag."

Fagin saw the key that locked the door and used it to open it. Creeper instantly sprang past him and went to jump on the one that ordered his capture. Dall struggled with the goblin, trying to pry him off his hooded head. By now the door was being hammered on by Sir Taran's minions.

"Quickly, let's get out of here!" said Fflewddur to the league.

Suddenly, the front door was burst into by the creatures and they ran into Dall and Creeper, knocking them over and making a fine mess. With no moment to waste, the league, Fflewddur, and Dallben hurried out of the door and straight to the abandoned ship.

"Get off of me, you fools! Dallben is escaping! My powers are escaping!" gasped Dall.

Sir Taran gave off a battle cry and darted out to chase the fleeing characters with the fire of battle in his eyes and his cape whipping. He raised Dyrwyn and tried to strike the nearest person, who was Dallben. His and Widow Tweed's old age did not make them suitable for running, and the enchanter winced as the blade almost ran down his back. Terrified at how close Dallben was to being hurt, Fflewddur turned to help Dallben run along as the embodiment of Taran's dreams tried to do everything in his power to harm them.

"Fight me, you cowards!" he yelled at them.

Fflewddur wished he could, but Sir Taran would be backed up by the minions, and so he saved that time for another day. The league made it on the battleship and got rid of anything that the monsters would use to get on board. The plank that allowed them to come up was raised away from the beach, and the anchor that kept harbor was raised by Fflewddur with the advice of Basil, who knew more about boats than any of them did. Dallben and Widow Tweed stopped to rest on the deck, making heavy breathes.

When he realized what they were doing, Sir Taran's rage spiked higher than ever. But there was nothing he could do to stop them, because the ship was leaving shore and was setting sail for the mainland. Before it could go very far, Fflewddur stood on the ship's side and called to the warrior staring at them.

"You'll get your fight soon enough! But it will have to be with Taran!" he called.

Now that freedom was with them, Fflewddur turned back and grinned at the Disney 80's League manning the ship the best they could. Here they were acting like a crew while those dreadful monsters were stranded on that island with a boy whose helmet was probably simmering because of his hot head! They were doing just as good a job with this ship as all that lot.

"Will you just see yourselves working like a crew? Now this ship will be used for good and not evil!" he said to the league.

"I'm baffled about this sudden change of events," said Basil.

"I can't wait to see Donald looking at us all funny while we use this!" said Fagin.

"It's not so much him, but Taran that I would want to see, "said Fflewddur. "I wonder where Eilonwy is?"

…

She was hiking along the trails of the kingdom with Mickey and Minnie Mouse, still trying to look for Donald. To her knowledge, Donald didn't seem like the type to be kept in one place for long. Mickey and Minnie were enjoying the countryside, thankful that no mean men or dragons were out and about. It was like this for an hour until they could hear faint barking.

"Uh oh, I hope that's not those hounds from the castle," said Mickey with concern.

"I don't think they would stray so far from home," replied Eilonwy. "It must be other dogs."

"But what other dogs are there around here?" asked Minnie.

They braced for the surprise, and ended up being more surprised. Fagin's dog pack jumped on Mickey and Minnie and gave them a hearty time. After much pushing away and laughing, Mickey was caught wide-eyed again when he saw Donald, Taran, Gurgi, and Hen Wen coming up to see him.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed. "Donald, I didn't expect to see you all of a sudden!"

"Well, ya did!" he replied. "And guess what? Taran's on our side now!"

"Yippe!" cheered the mouse as he shook Taran's hand. "I knew you would snap outta it!"

He was all grins, but Taran was taken aback to see that Eilonwy was with them.

"Eilonwy!" he said. "Where have you been this whole time?"

"With Mickey and Minnie, Taran!" she said. "We all came together to clean up your home!"

This was something, all he could feel was more gratitude for the top characters for caring enough to fix his own house. Now there was no way he could shun them. Donald nodded and pointed ahead to the trail leading back to Caer Dallben.

"Time to plan our rescue, everybody!" he declared.

The dogs went ahead cheerfully to the farmhouse while Mickey sighed.

"Now we have to go back?" he said. "Oh, well, at least it's with you, Donald!"


	9. Chapter 9 Together

Chapter 9 Together

Relieved to see his home in good condition, Taran took part in a good conversation about how to get Dallben back from the shady sides, including the Disney 80's League. At this point, Donald thought their capture was evident. The only problem was how to start this mission.

"I say we go on down to that beach and search for this battleship!" said Mickey.

"Then what're we gonna do?" asked Donald.

"Uh…good question, Donald!" he replied. "We can't just hop on board!"

"There has to be a way," said Taran.

…

The voyage to shore was smooth with no sign of trouble. Fflewddur acted the part as captain with Basil taking the charge. The breeze was blowing around the league as they continued to come toward the mainland. The water was becoming less deep when they got close enough to dock.

"Take anchor here, me lads!" called Fflewddur.

Anchor was set firm in the waters below, and now land welcomed them. Glad to be back, the characters left the ship where she sat, wishing Donald Duck and his pals met them. From the looks of the shore however, it appeared that the duck was not there. Only a foreboding wood stood in their way.

"I believe we should have sailed somewhere else," said Basil. "Only danger could await in there!"

The woods did seem to conceal some danger within their trunks and branches. Light scarcely found its way into their numbers, making a gloomy atmosphere. Not a bird was calling and no leaf came down at their feet. It was perfectly still, too quiet to be considered safe for everyone.

"I don't like the look of this place," whimpered Fagin as he crept behind a firm Fflewddur.

"Come on now, did we come to shore just to look at a scary forest?" he said. "No, we arrived to come right into it! I know we're still a little shaken after our tussle with that scoundrel, but safety will be at our reach before long. Taran and Donald have to be in there somewhere, I know it!"

One of the chords on his lyre broke off when he said that. Fagin eyed the instrument sheepishly, believing it was some kind of omen. Fflewddur gave a scowl and snapped the chord back on. The lyre had a knack for breaking whenever he said something that was not true.

"Oh, you know it too!" he told the harp. "It'll do us no good standing here!"

With swinging arms that exerted boldness, Fflewddur strode into the woods. Basil shook his head and tried to keep up with him. Fagin sighed and waved for Jenny and Widow Tweed to come along. Dallben took the rear with light concern. They had nothing to fight a beast with, only bare hands.

"Fflewddur, you'd best be careful!" said Basil to him. "There is no telling what wild beast is here!"

"I have been wandering these very woods for years, mouse detective!" he replied. "I do believe if a monster were to come here, it would be taken care of. Besides The Horned King's Gwythaints, there is not much else that can come here right now and scare us half to death."

Then a growl sprang from thin air. All jumped when it came up, but the noise receded as quickly as it rose. Basil gave Fflewddur a piercing glare.

"What could that have been?" he said.

"Oh… perhaps a creature that felt threatened I suppose," said Fflewddur with an uneasy smile.

"More like a monster to me!" piped up Fagin.

The growl returned, this time with an extra snarl in it. Hairs on end, the beast raised its ugly head to reveal that it was none other than Gurgle, the shady side of Gurgi. He clamped his jaws like a dog eager to nab a bone. It was unfortunate for the league that they happened to meet him.

"You're the one Dall sent after us!" cried Basil.

"Gurgle mad you left island!" he said. "Gurgle must take 80's League!"

He pounced on Fagin, wrestling him to the ground in a fit. Fflewddur jumped on him and gave the trouble-maker a good bonk on the head with his harp. Dazed, Gurgle fell back and the whole league darted to wherever safety could be. Gurgle snapped out of his state and sprang for a run.

"What a crazy little guy!" exclaimed Fagin, rubbing his belly as he ran.

The dense woods became clearer as they tumbled through. Dallben and Widow Tweed were boosted ahead of the chasing Gurgle with an urge to evade the rascal. It was the rising of a hill with a massive tree that caught the league's attention. Maybe they could climb it up to get away from Gurgle?

"To the hill!" said Fflewddur.

Gurgle smiled mischievously as they made their way up to that destination. Rubbing hands eagerly, he stopped and watched them approach the huge tree. Basil was the first to realize that this tree was not normal. The whole front of it looked almost reptilian. Then he saw the knobs.

"What could those knobs at the front of the tree be?" he wondered.

His friends were at the tree's long roots before he could think further. The gaping hole that led to the inside was enticing to them. Just as they ducked inside, those very same knobs opened up to reveal two crocodile-like eyes staring down at the mouth. The opening slightly rose up.

"Why does this tree have teeth?" asked Jenny.

"Because it's a monster, watch out!" called Basil.

A big growl that dwarfed Gurgle's rumbled out from the mouth, followed by the screams of the league. They rushed out in time before the mouth crashed down with a mighty bite into the soil. The roots that stuck out on the sides of the hill began to flail about like tentacles. Dirt was torn from the ground as the monster raised itself from its position and stood rigidly on two giant spikes. It eyed the fleeing prey hungrily.

"We're doomed!" cried Fflewddur.

Gurgle blocked their way, enjoyment clearly seen in his eyes. His dirty coat bristled with excitement at the prospect of these annoying enemies getting eaten by his big buddy. He was pushed down by the scared league in a mad dash from the monster. He was back up to order the monster forward.

"After them!" yelled Gurgle. "Tree Monster get stupid characters!"

The monster certainly tired to, but the real trees that surrounded its hill were keeping it from going any further. Gurgle stamped his foot in disappointment, muttering angry gibberish. Then his eyes lit up coolly at a new thought. He turned around and hoppled to the hill as the monster did the same to resume its post.

"Gurgle think of something, maybe Gurgle get Dallben!" he privately schemed.

…

A new search was on, but this time it would be without Donald and the others. Eilonwy sent out her magic bauble to scout the land for the Disney 80's League. The orb of light was floating along at a timely pace when it spotted a band of strange characters coming up.

"Say, do you see a faint light over there?" asked Dallben.

The bauble made its presence known by zooming right to them and whizzing past their heads. The stunned group stood with awe as it zeroed in on their features. It passed under Fagin's big nose, spun around Jenny, and swooped in front of Basil.

"Oh no, it's an orb!" said Fagin. "It's some kind of ghost!"

"No, friend, this is a bauble," said Dallben. "And I might know who it belongs to!"

"Eilonwy!" exclaimed Fflewddur with a laugh. "I knew that girl would help us out someday!"

Once it was done playing with them, the bauble started to slowly float on down the path. It made beckoning flashes so they would know what it wanted. They took the signal at once, walking in its direction to the one place they knew it could lead them to, the home of Dallben and Taran.

"Oh my, it wants us to follow it!" said Widow Tweed. "Relaxation, here we come!"

…

At Caer Dallben, Donald and Mickey waited patiently for the league to arrive while Taran and Eilonwy analyzed the warning Dallben left behind.

"When those guys get back, we're gonna give these palookas a piece of our mind!" vowed Donald.

"I would like to as well, but I bet these guys sure mean business!" said Mickey.

Donald got up from his seat outside to check on the other two. As he read the letter over and over again, Taran felt a mix of dread and anger in him.

"What's goin' on back here?" asked Donald.

"We're looking over this note, Donald," replied Taran. "This Dall must be a real villain."

"Well, yeah!" said Donald. "I've got a funny feeling that guy is Sir Taran's boss!"

There was a great cheer from outside. Everyone stopped at what they were doing and hurried to the front lawn. Like heroes coming back from a dangerous expedition or space voyage walked the Disney 80's League to Caer Dallben. Fflewddur Fflam was happier than he was in a long time. Basil and the league members were striding to Donald and Mickey with grins. The dog pack jumped on Fagin at the very sight of him, giving him a slurping to remember.

The one sight that cheered Taran most of all was Dallben coming toward him. Overjoyed, he ran to the enchanter and gave him a big hug. Hen Wen circled around them and oinked happily. Donald tried not to look too touched to make them embarrassed, so he only smiled.

"Dallben, I thought I would never see you again!" said Taran with watery eyes.

"I thought the same," he replied. "But here we are, together."

There was a celebratory air around the area for the rest of the day. They all took part in fun games and scrupulous meals prepared by Dallben and Widow Tweed. Donald even got to have a taste of Taran's signature soup. Tod and Copper played with the dog pack outside along with Hen Wen, and it was a big laughing fest for everyone.

"Look at that, Hen Wen just swiped the ball from Tito!" said Minnie.

"No, wait, now Einstein's got it!" said Fagin.

In the kitchen, Donald licked his bill with pleasure after finishing the soup.

"You sure know how to make soup!" he complimented to Taran.

"I'm glad you like it, because I usually leave the pot boiling for too long!" he said, going outside to give Hen Wen a bath.

Eilonwy was making soup of her own. She had been working on it for a while as Donald was eating. It was a dark red with herbs and spices sprinkled in within it. A pleasant smell wafted over her inspecting nose, and when it was ready she took it over for Donald to eat.

"Really Taran, you need to stop being so laid back for once," she said. "Here, Donald, have a cup of some of my soup. It has a very good flavor!"

Donald was quick to take it, and made it run down his heated bill and down his throat. It was warm, but very good. He patted his belly with contentment. Now he knew that the princess made for a good cook as well as a house keeper.

"Ah, that's good," he sighed.

"Of course, I wanted to spice it up a bit," added Eilonwy.

Then it came, his tongue started to flare up with spiciness and his head slowly turned red. With a big squabble, Donald jumped three feet in the air and ran outside as everyone broke out laughing. He zeroed in on a bucket holding water and dived in. The heat was gone, but now his mouth was full of soap. His tongue felt stung instead of steamed. Something was bumping on his head and a squeal was raised. He quickly pulled his head out.

"Donald!" exclaimed Taran. "What do you think you're doing?"

Donald spat out as much soap as he could before seeing he got in Hen Wen's bath. The pig gave him an odd look.

"Heh, had a spicy mouth that's all," he said with guilt.

Instead of being upset, Taran only laughed along with everyone else who turned up to see what all the commotion was about. Donald gave Eilonwy a hard look as she arrived. The princess giggled at the mischeif she happened to cause. She offered Donald a ladle.

"Want more?" she asked. "There's still another full pot left!"

"No thank you!" he retorted. "I don't wanna turn into roast duck!"

"No, the way you're behaving now, you would be too spicy to eat!" remarked Fflewddur.

Before he could think any more, the bard found himself being run around by Donald. The laughing was enough to make anyone's sides sore. Gurgi joined in on the run out of pure fun. After having no friends for so long, it was great to be able to have so many for once.

"Gurgi get Fflewddur for Donald!" he said. "Yep, give him soup to be heat up!"

"As much as I've been chased so far on this adventure, I've been doing well!" cried Fflewddur as he scattered the geese.

"You and me both!" exclaimed Donald, bumping into a goat.

The goat became agitated and charged at Donald's bottom, sending him flying into Fflewddur and putting them both in the mud.

"Looks like you two need baths as well!" said Taran. "Get my cleaning equipment, everyone!"

Donald and Fflewddur, dirty with their landing, were swept by Eilonwy and Fagin respectively and put in two different buckets. Horrified, Donald tried his best to get off while Eilowny washed him down with Mickey holding him still. Fflewddur was being splashed in water by Widow Tweed and Fagin got a washcloth. Donald had it easy then, because the dogs took part in Fflewddur's bath and went around him scrubbing with brushs.

"How dare you turn on me, Mickey?" quacked Donald.

"Let me go, you villains!" pleaded Fflewddur. "May I be able to clean myself?"

"Oh, goodness me Fflewddur, you need that mud taken off!" said Widow Tweed. "Tod, give me the soap will you?"

The fox fetched the soap, but it was so slippery that it jumped from his mouth and landed right on Fflewddu'rs head. Copper took it and handed it to Widow Tweed, who scrubbed Fflewddur's face. Fagin picked up the cup of water and dumped it down on the bard, soaking him completely through. Eilonwy had trouble with her soap. It sprang into Donald's mouth and stayed there. Now bubbles were coming out.

"Not again!" he said, two new bubbles being formed.

"Here, Eilonwy, take him to the faucet!" said Taran.

Donald was dragged right below the faucet, and Taran pulled the screw to make a solid line of water fall on Donald. All the soap that clung to his body was washed off, and Mickey nudged him off the bucket to make him stand up. Then Taran and Eilonwy jumped on him with towels, covering him all over as they had a tough struggle keeping him down. They tickled and rubbed until they finally let him go. Every feather was sticking out of Donald, making Mickey and the other two laugh. Hen Wen took pleasure in the whole spectacle. He stared at the whole lot of them with outraged eyes.

"And I thought The Horned King's men were rough and tough!" he pouted.

After his towel tussle, Fflewddur stood next to Donald dripping and cold.

"Gurgi didn't get bath, yippe!" cheered Gurgi. "Gurgi won't look funny too."

Donald decided not to get him so he would not get into something much worse. Dallben came out of the house to annouce good news.

"Our dinner is prepared!" he said.

Everyone cheered and went into the house for a well deserved time to relax from their adventure for the time being.


	10. Chapter 10 Creeper's Mission

Chapter 10 Creeper's Mission

Back when Fflewddur and his friends fled Dall's Island, Creeper, who had started the conflict, made his break from the shady side as well. Unfortunately for him, Creepy was on to him as soon as he went out the door. While the Disney 80's League took over Horny's battleship, Creeper jumped onto the little boat that smaller shady sides like Gurgle used to get off the island. He openly mocked his counterpart as he paddled away.

Now Creeper was going at a casual pace in the waters of Prydain, mulling on what to do. Those plans Sir Taran boasted of did not sit well with him, especially the part about him swaying The Horned King's men to his side. Creeper would never trust those traitors again if they would do such a thing. That left him with only one option, telling his master.

"I've got to tell sire of this!" he said. "Then those stupid shady sides will be goners!"

Creeper had known where the Horned King had gone for some time. While Donald and the Disney 80's League were in his castle, he had made an official visit to House of Mouse, although he loathed the place. His scouts had all reported that the boy's visit there failed, but that did not concern him. What caught his attention was the sighting of the black cauldron, and that was what made up his mind. This left Creeper with the task of going all the way to that club.

After he landed onto the shore, he noticed that Horny's battleship was nearby. He was too busy getting away from Creepy to see the league take over the battleship. Because of that, Creeper thought that Horny was still around and was taking a break in the woods. Frightened, he tip-toed past the ship. Obviously, nothing happened, and this was good enough for Creeper to make a run for it and smack into an investigating Gurgle.

"What's Creeper doing off island?" he exclaimed. "Gurgle must take Creeper back!"

At the sound of that, Creeper yelped and shoved Gurgle out of his way. The goblin was gone by the time he got back up on his feet. Scowling, Gurgle shouldered off to the battleship, privately plotting to capture him too along with Dallben.

Because he was cooped up in the castle all the time, Creeper had little to no idea about the countryside around him. As far as he was concerned, it was nothing but a wide space of land that needed to be run over. All he could think about now was that one place, House of Mouse, far in the horizon somewhere. He blindly ran through the woods and the brush in a mad dash to this destination. It was needless to say that it took much longer for him to leave Prydain than Donald and Mickey.

It took several days of running spurts, but the little goblin with aching legs had ambled out of the kingdom and was on the road to the gathering place of Disney. Everything looked so surreal and new to him that he was overwhelmed, even though he had come here earlier to capture Donald. At least that time he had his men to back him, but this time he was all alone on his mission, and it was a mission only he could fulfill.

…

While Mickey Mouse was off trying to rescue Donald Duck, House of Mouse was being managed by Daisy and Clarabelle. Thankfully, nothing went wrong in the first few days of their temporary management, but at a place like this they were always prepared to get ready for some kind of skirmish. Pete had been gone for quite a while it seemed, and the characters themselves were just as they normally would have been.

"I think we're getting pretty lucky, Daisy," said Clarabelle one seemingly normal day.

"Yeah, I know, this is going very well!" replied Daisy.

Amongst the people crawled Creeper, being ignored as he went. His big eye scanned the tables to look for the Horned King, but he was not around right now. He ducked underneath a table just as a penguin waddled past, unsure of what to do. Then the lights in the building dimmed in time for a cartoon to appear, and Creeper groaned as the audience clapped and cheered.

While they were busy watching, Creeper crept from his hiding place and scanned the area once more. There at the far corner of the huge chamber sat the Horned King all alone. Everyone stayed as far away as possible from the creepy, skeletal king, and Creeper hastily crawled to the place through legs and stools.

"Sire is still here, oh yes!" he said quietly to himself. "Now I just need to tell him!"

Sitting like a lifeless skeleton, The Horned King was not startled when his minion reared his ugly head up from the floor and looked in his black eyes. But he still never expected him to come along, and so his eyes briefly flashed irritably.

"You," he grumbled. "What brings you here to this foolish place?"

"I come with a warning, sire!" replied Creeper. "Your kingdom is in great peril! There are things called shady sides plotting to take our castle and rule it!"

What nonsense was he uttering now? If he dared gave up his post to let intruders in, he would give him a straggling to remember. But first he must know what this intruder was. It seemed odd that his guards would allow something like to happen, while he was away at that.

"Who desires my throne?" he said darkly.

"Sir Taran, your majesty!" hissed Creeper.

"The boy wants my kingdom?" he said more to himself than to Creeper. "I cannot stand for this."

He rose up and strode to the door. He generated some uneasy stares from a few cast members, but for the most part the king was ignored. Delighted that he avoided a straggling, Creeper chuckled and punched fists in the air.

"Just wait until I come back!" he said. "Sire will knock Creepy's daylights out of him!"

Unfortunately for the goblin, his counterpart had been on his heels ever since he escaped. All he needed was directions from Dall's oracle and then it was go time. Although they looked identical, Creepy had the gift of being twice as fast on his stubby legs, and he managed to get to House of Mouse first and wait for Creeper to arrive. He could have jumped on him as soon as he showed up, but he decided to wait for him to exit instead.

Everything was going smoothly for a few minutes, but just as Creeper came out the door he was instantly pounced on by Creepy. Yelps and shrieks ripped through the air as they rolled along the ground away from the Horned King, who was looking at them like they were fools. The commotion was enough to make some of the audience turn around and shush the fighters, but it kept going on until they tumbled right into Timon and Pumbaa's table. Grubs were scattered everywhere, causing more shrieks to erupt.

"There's a worm in my soup!" exclaimed Lefou, Gaston's lackey.

"Oh, what are you talking about… Yuck!" exclaimed Gaston.

"Abu, what you crying about?" asked Aladdin to his pet monkey. "Whoa, what's with the worm on your back?"

"Oh dear, is that a beetle in my cup of tea?" said Alice. "Pumbaa, do be more careful!"

Hearing all of this talking, Creepy yanked Creeper and dragged him out to the hallways away from the noise. There he flung him at the wall to fall down at his feet. Now this ridiculous escapee was all his, and he would like to take some delight in seeing him squirm before him.

"Got you now, my inferior side!" cackled Creepy. "Master will like to have you pay a visit!"

"Never!" he cried. "Just wait for sire to come rescue me!"

"I don't see your walking bag of bones anywhere!" said Creepy. "Skull face will soon find out his precious throne will be occupied by the mighty warrior!"

Creeper would have retorted, but he decided to only smile wickedly, for the Horned King was walking slowly around the bend. Hearing these stinging words, he wanted to take in this ridicule so he could ultimately end it soon.

"Oh, what a pity for that zombie bones," said Creepy. "What was once a scary and nasty villain is now a shell of his former self! He'll find out soon enough that Sir Taran and Master Dall will put him to shame! And it's right for it to be that way too, because the Horned King is just a big, overrated, underdeveloped simpleton! Why, I bet if he were to come right behind me right now, he wouldn't lay a claw on me because I'm a shady side! Shady sides don't need to be straggled, he just straggled himself!"

Then Creepy noticed that the floor in front of him was darker than it was a minute ago. A silver of fear rose up in him, and with a reluctant turn of the head, he saw a brown shape standing over him, and a pair of demonic red eyes to go with that. It felt like Creepy had just shrunk a foot.

"Why, the Horned King," whimpered Creepy. "I didn't expect you so soon."

He never said a word. He decided to let his actions speak for him. A firm and quick grasp of his little throat was all it took for Creepy to scream out with horror and he bawled like a baby. Shaken like a bag of candy, the Horned King seemed to keep him in his hold for the whole time from the hallway to the stage of House of Mouse. Daisy and Clarabelle were too busy trying to get rid of the grubs to notice. One slow step at a time, the Horned King continued shaking the now sickened shady side until he thought his whole being was shaken to the core. Finally, the characters noticed the sight, and gasped.

Only when every eye in the building was on him did the Horned King stop and dropped Creepy to the floor with a knock on the head. On the sidelines, Creeper took pleasure at Creepy's punishment.

"Where is the black cauldron?" he asked the audience.

"Hey, what are you trying to do here?" asked Daisy, but she was hushed by Clarabelle.

"Don't you remember Pete, you had the black cauldron the last time you ruined this show!" said Clarabelle.

"So this trip was for nothing," he said after a long silence.

He turned on Creeper, and now the goblin was feeling anxious. What was he trying to do now? He never heard of this Pete before. Why would he have to question him for this? That look his master was giving him was enough to melt the thickest piece of ice.

"What is this Pete of which they speak of?" asked the Horned King to Creeper.

"I don't know, sire," he replied. "This Pete is a total stranger to me!"

"Perhaps he was the one who took the cauldron?" he asked. "If so, then this is your entire fault again."

It took no more words after that. Creeper was out of there in an instant and the Horned King was on to him with speed never seen before from him. It was a spectacle sure to be the most bizarre at House of Mouse for a long time. It was like a cat chasing a mouse.

"I am so sorry master, so sorry!" exclaimed Creeper. "You should punish the scouts!"

"Fool! It was you that suggested I come back to this place to be certain!" cried the Horned King.

Daisy and Clarabelle exchanged glances, dropping any thought that their management of House of Mouse had been uneventful. Daisy was hoping that something like this would not happen again for a while. There was no telling what Donald would have done right now.

"Wait until Donald hears about this!" she said. "Pete sure likes to mess with goblins, huh?"

"I don't know," said Clarabelle. "He sure does have a deep voice these days, deeper than usual!"

Taking advantage of the moment again, Creepy mustered all of the strength left in his weak muscles and half-ran, half-limped out of the building. Mumbling and fretting angrily, the shady side had even more scorn for the Horned King this time.

"That's does it!" he said. "That Horned King shall go down! And go down he will!"

…

At Dall's Island, the shady side of Dallben had watched the strange event happen. He was planning payback for the mistreatment too, and the desire to dethrone the Horned King was stronger than ever. Sir Taran and his plans for domination were boosted to a high status.

"Poor Creepy," said Sir Taran. "He will be avenged! I'll make sure of that!"

"Yes, you shall, Sir Taran," said Dall. "But do keep in mind that I must have the powers of that cursed Dallben too."

"I guess we all want something," he replied. "Very well then, as soon as Gurgle can go along with his plan, then later I will."

Dall's pig, a shady side of Hen Wen, directed the oracle to center on Gurgle. He was away from Horny's battleship and was now petting his tree monster friend. It had tried to eat the Disney 80's League before, but now Gurgle wanted it to be fulfilled with eating just Dallben instead. But first, Dall had to have the powers.

He took out a strange seashell and held it near the surface of the oracle's liquid. It was a magical object used for him to communicate with other shady sides, and now he had to use it to tell Gurgle of what he wanted to do.

"Can you hear me, Gurgle?" he asked.

"Huh?" he blurted to thin air. "Does Dall call to Gurgle?"

"Yes, Gurgle," he responded. "This is your Master Dall speaking. You do know about my seashell, do you?"

"Gurgle knows of seashell now," he replied.

Poor, simple Gurgle, he had to get to know this creature over time. But enough about the seashell, he had to tell him of his plans for victory. Only then could Sir Taran get his ultimate goal accomplished.

"You must capture Dallben at all costs!" said Dall. "Do whatever is necessary to get this done."

"Gurgle will try, oh yes!" he said. "Gurgle wanted Dallben for a long time now!"

"Very well, in that case, go to it," said Dall, and he laid down the seashell.

The old enchanter shady side turned his head to see Sir Taran gaze outside at the sky, lost in thought. Something about the look on his face was odd. He looked to be lost in thought, only being alert when Dall clapped his hand on his shoulder.

"Now what would the matter be with you, my lad?" he asked.

"Oh, you should know," mumbled Sir Taran.

"No, I do not," said Dall.

"Fine," said Sir Taran. "I have a longing for something, but I don't know what that something is. It's not the throne, but a sense of belonging. I feel like I need to return to somewhere."

Such a weird statement this boy was making. Dall had no idea what he was talking about. All he knew was what he wanted, and that was Dallben's powers. This mumbling about a belonging to some location unknown to him was silly, and he would make sure Sir Taran would not think of such things.

"Leave it be," said Dall. "Right now you must concentrate on conquering Prydain, and that day will soon arrive!"

"Yes," he replied after a long pause. "You're right Dall, that skeletal fool will be no match for me when I take his henchmen away from him!"


	11. Chapter 11 Gurgle Grapple

Chapter 11 Gurgle Grapple

It had been a very pleasant night. Donald and all of his friends had gone to bed after a wonderful evening of playing and sleep fell upon them easily. Then around midnight there was irritating noises of shuffling feet and frantic panting followed by an old man's surprised cry. That was when everything went wrong.

Donald Duck was the first to go see what was going on, and wound up finding a pillow in his face. Everything was spinning stars as a hairy shape hustled past with a large, struggling bulk on his little shoulder. The creature had strong strength, and he was out the door before Taran came down to see the dazed duck.

"What happened?" asked Taran, still in his night clothes and night cap.

"Heh… hairy palooka… hit me with pillow," said Donald. "It had something… on its shoulder."

As if nothing happened, Eilonwy walked down in her nightdress, puzzled. Staring sleepily at Donald and Taran, she had been perfectly content in her slumber to not hear all the noise. Clearly she had no concern at the moment. The other two gave her strange looks, expecting her to be at least curious. Maybe she had one of her strange princess dreams again?

"Having a midnight snack, I see?" she said. "I just noticed that Dallben's not in his room. Is he eating my cookies?"

Taran's eyes became wide when he realized. Becoming pale as it settled in, he went out the door without a word. Donald might have still been dazed, but he knew exactly what he was going to do.

"What's the matter with Taran?" wondered Eilonwy. "Did he have a Horned King nightmare?"

Donald only glared at her. Mickey was the next to arrive, and he too was clueless as the princess. What was Donald doing on the floor? Something weird was going on tonight.

"Gosh, Donald, what're you doing sleeping on the floor?" asked Mickey.

"I wasn't sleeping on the floor!" pouted Donald. "Dallben's been taken!"

Still tired, Eilonwy and Mickey did not grasp what Donald was saying. In a fit, Donald stomped up back to his room to prepare to get the enchanter himself. If those two were not going to help, then maybe he should do things his way again. He sure was getting tired of doing all the important tasks by himself. Mickey was supposed to be his helping pal after all, but now she was with Eilonwy!

The Disney 80's League slept the night away, bristly unaware of the problem. Only a series of barking woke them up, and by the time Basil and Fflewddur looked out the window, they saw Donald's tail feathers ahead of the dog pack going into the forest. Apparently he was was on a task of some kind, but it what it was they did not know.

"Stop there!" called Fflewddur, but Donald was out of earshot.

"Something must have happened while we were sleeping," said Basil.

Quickly getting ready for action, the league got dressed and then came down the steps to see Eilonwy and Mickey still drowsy. They took no notice at all of their presence. Fagin tried waving his hand in front of Eilonwy, but her eyes remained set in tiredness. Widow Tweed tended to Mickey, but the mouse kept drooping his head as though wanting to rest on a comfortable pillow.

"What's up with them?" asked Fagin, a little unsettled.

"How peculiar," mumbled Basil as he examined them. "This is no simple case of staying up."

"How can you tell that?" asked Jenny.

Basil took out his little magnifying glass and looked closely at each of their eyes. Pulsing veins was what he saw, and the weariness looked great. The eyeballs themselves were slightly yellow. Not a pretty sight, that was sure. Nothing could have caused them to look like this unless it was something they didn't mean to do.

"Hmmm, this is dirty work," he said.

"Did I just hear, "dirty work?" asked Dawson.

"Yes you did, and I must investigate it!" said Basil. "Do any of you remember what they drank earlier?"

Each member of the league shrugged, except for Fflewddur who thought it a silly question. Basil must not have seen Mickey pass out some cups of water to everyone. In fact, the mouse detective was the very first to go to bed! He was becoming sure that Basil was getting a little bossy among the league, even though he was techincally the group's leader.

"It was simply water," said Fflewddur. "You may go up to their rooms to see their cups."

"Thank you kindly, my bard, I will do that," said Basil as he scurried off.

Minnie was just getting off the bed when Basil came in. There were the cups, but they looked like normal drinking cups. He was not convinced, because he knew first appearances were not always true. His magnifying glass hovered over them. Every little detail had to be put up for examination when he was doing the dectective work. That was what he was meant to do at any rate.

"What are you doing, Basil?" asked Minnie.

"I'm investigating a possible poisoning of Mickey!" he said.

Gasping, Minnie watched Basil's work more closely. At first, the insides of the cups were clear, but then a faint coating of the walls came into focus. Whatever caused that to show up could only be the poison of which the intruder used to get Mickey and Eilonwy to be the way they were.

"Aha!" exclaimed Basil. "It really was poison!"

Both of them went down to the kitchen to meet up with the others. Minnie pleaded the dismal Mickey to snap out of it, but he stayed the same. The league turned to the world outside where Donald and Taran were having a wild goose chase. They would have to return in order for Basil to hear about a possible criminal.

"Why would anyone do such a thing?" whimpered Minnie.

"Good question," said Basil. "This intruder must have been after something…or someone."

…

Gurgle hardly remembered the last time he ran this hard. With Dallben on his shoulder, the shady side was a grey blur in the dark forest as the moon shined overhead. His eyes darted left and right, up and down, for any sign of the crazy duck that was after him. Twigs kept smacking into him because of his reckless speed, and the enchanter was like a great bag he had to handle. Sooner or later a mishap had to happen, and Gurgle fell down on the ground.

Dallben landed not too far away, and he staggered to his feet. However, Gurgle jumped to him and executed a feat of strength only shady sides could do. With a lift, the old man was on his shoulder again, and away into the darkness he went. Dallben's disappointed moan died away as Donald pounced into the same area. Seeing the intruder go away, he quacked in frustration and darted ahead.

"Come back here!" he yelled.

The palooka must have heard him, for Donald heard snickering from the fleeing creature. That only made him even madder. Here he was in the middle of a dark forest when he could have been sleeping soundly in bed. No, this trouble maker had to have him do some running, and that was what made Donald want to defeat Gurgle more than any other shady side.

"Sic him!" said Donald to the place behind him.

It was a good thing that he wasn't alone. Fagin's dog pack was helping him in his chase, and they had an easier time than him. With teeth bared and growls rumbling in their throats, they pursued Gurgle. The kidnapper was now frightened by just how much they were gaining on him, and he wished more than ever that his loyal monster was with him now.

"Gurgle better get up in trees!" he said to himself.

He made a leap onto the nearest tree and darted from one to another like a flying squirrel, still trying to get to his monster friend. Donald and the dogs hardly cared about it, for he was still their target and could still be tracked. Dallben's eyelids went up and down, the night air making him sleepy even in this hectic state. At one point he even made a faint yawn.

"Silly Dallben be good food before long!" said Gurgle to his captive. "Gurgle just needs to get away from crazy duck!"

"Fat chance!" yelled Donald down below.

The chase felt endless, but the tree monster's clearing was soon within sight. The full moon shone brightly over the monster, who was still acting like a typical tree. Its shadow stretched spookily over his land, consuming Gurgle as he came hopping into it. Donald struggled through the bushes and stopped in his tracks at the sight of the big tree.

"Uh oh," he muttered.

Gurgle laid the sleepy enchanter on the ground, then raising his hands into the air to greet his big friend. The beast was still holding his normal pose, but the branches swayed slightly. Crickets chirruped in the background and the stars above were bright.

"Gurgle brings Dallben to Tree!" said Gurgle to the monster.

That was when it showed itself. The eyes opened instantly, reptilian in their appearance. Its yawning mouth with sharp, bark-like teeth closed down with a snap. One by one its root-like tentacles rose and crawled its massive body to the food. Dallben lay where he was with fear clearly shown in his wrinkly face.

"Gurgle says wait!" said Gurgle suddenly. "Gurgle wants Tree to do something first."

The monster halted and eyed his friend confusedly. Gurgle skipped up to its big mouth and then jumped up to where its ear holes appeared to be. Donald wanted to go in and snatch Dallben, but the monster kept him rooted to the spot in fear. Something like that would eat him up in a heart beat.

"Master Dall wants food's powers, yeah," said Gurgle to the tree monster. "Once Gurgle gets powers, Tree can eat food!"

Dallben, who was fighting sleep and fear, found energy at the mention of his shady side. He shakily rose to his feet and faced Gurgle with a staunch pose. He gave Gurgle an angry glare.

"He still desires my powers?" he asked coldly. "Well, you can tell the villain that he shall never have them!"

Gurgle made a silly chuckle and jumped down to give Dallben a seemingly innocent smile. Both Donald and the enchanter knew that it was a ploy to make him feel less threatened. The shady side was obviously provoked, and probably his tree monster friend as well.

"Gurgle knew Dallben would say that!" he said. "But it won't work this time! Gurgle's got Dallben now, oh yes."

"You certainly are a little terror," growled Dallben. "It appears I must show you my powers then."

Without a moment of hesitation, Dallben whipped out a small, hidden wand he held in his coat and fired a freeze spell at the monster. It made a stifled roar of surprise before staying still. Gurgle jumped with surprise and flung himself at Dallben to give him some punishment. Donald and the dogs rushed in and dog-piled the shady side, creating quite a scene. The night was full of barks, yells, screeches, and hits.

Tearing himself out of the fray, Gurgle walked dizzily down at the feet of his stunned monster. Donald bumped fists, still in the fighting mood. Dallben, glaring hard, raised his wand and pointed it at Gurgle's chest. The dog pack was a wall of fur in front of them, fierce and outraged.

"Uh oh, Gurgle in trouble," whimpered Gurgle

Crickets and owls were silenced again by the noises of battle as the lights of spells flashed into the sky and Donald's quacking yells were everywhere. It was him and Gurgle in a classic fist fight, and Donald landed his opponent a smart hit on his nose. Yelping, Gurgle staggered away and hit his head on the tree monster's base as he went down. That was enough for it to come back to its senses.

With a roar that boomed through the night air, the tree monster charged at the attackers. Donald and the dogs got out of the way, but Dallben stayed put and cast a force barrier in front of him. The wall of light held the monster in front of him, and it was Dallben's pulling magic and the beast's pushing that started a push and pull struggle. Dallben gritted his teeth and the monster pushed so hard that the soil was scrapped. The monster then relented and smacked a tentacle on the force field, only to have it repelled and smack back on its nose.

"Go Dallben!" cheered Donald from the side lines. "Get that wooden palooka!"

Gurgle shot a hard stare at Donald, and he began to creep up to him for a pounce. Donald was distracted by the ongoing battle, and Gurgle could have jumped on him right then and there, but Tito jumped on his back. Squealing, Gurgle ran around like a mad chicken as the little dog bit at his furry body. The other dogs joined in, and the shady side was once again at a disadvantage. It also did not help that Donald noticed the new fight and went to retrieve a stick lying nearby.

"So, wanted to sneak up on Donald Duck, huh?" he said. "Take this!"

_Thwack! _A circle of stars danced around Gurgle's head as he toppled to the ground in a second. Donald tossed the broken stick aside and dusted off his hands with a smile. With that taken cared of for the moment, he went toward the tree monster as he was snapping furiously at Dallben.

"Hey! Yoo-hoo!" he called to the monster. "Want some roast duck?"

It turned around and noticed Donald flailing his arms frantically. He was right in front of it, and the hill was just behind of him as well, meaning that it could easily trap him. With a toothy grin, the monster turned around and advanced toward Donald hungrily.

"Yeah, come on over here!" he called. "You shoulda went after me instead!"

Tempting it every step of the way, Donald went further up the hill until he was right on the edge. The monster's tongue lashed in and out with each step Donald made, awaiting the delicious meal it would have. Dallben watched it happen, and wondered what the brave duck was trying to do.

"Oh no, you've got me!" cried Donald as he stood on the edge. "What am I gonna do?"

The monster's mouth opened wide, showing all the teeth and tongue inside. Not bearing to see what might happen next, Dallben decided to do something. He fired a fire spell on the very top of the monster. It was cast out with barely a sound, and the monster did not notice it when it struck it. There were sparks, and Donald was trying to look for a opening around the monster to escape through when he saw a small fire pop up on the top of the horror. He smiled mischievously.

"Hey, look up!" he told the monster.

It looked up, and a terrified roar followed. The whole top of its head was burning, and it then turned its gaze on Donald. With a mighty bellow, it used every pound of strength left in it to jump on him, with all tentacles stretched and teeth shown. But it was all for nothing, because Donald dashed underneath it as it was airborne and it came down on the cliff edge with a loud thump. The weight was too much, and the edge gave away, dropping the monster all the way down to the ground below. A cloud of sparks danced into the dark sky as the tree monster, the one who chased the Disney 80's League and was Gurgle's closest ally, burned into ash with a single, rumbling moan of splitting, smoldering wood.

"We did it!" cheered Donald. "Thanks for the help, Dallben!"

"Your humbly welcome, my friend," he replied with a warm smile.

They turned around to go back to Caer Dallben, but they saw Taran standing and staring at them nearby with his mouth open. Still in his night clothes and night cap, he was a silly sight. Dallben chuckled and patted Donald on the back several times. He only shrugged his shoulders and petted the dog pack as they corraled around him.

"Taran, my lad, have you just now appeared?" he asked him. "Did you happen to see me in action?"

"And I thought I was the fighter," he said weakly.

A pitiful groan was let loose, and all three turned to Gurgle, who rose himself up and stretched his arms as though waking up from a full night's sleep. Staring at them with sleepy eyes, Gurgle looked totally innocent and confused, but everyone knew he was anything but.

"Gurgle feels sleepy," he said. "Anyone want some sleepy sleepy?"

"I'll show you sleep, you horrible, little monster!" said Taran.

He threw a spare apple at the shady side's head, giving him a clean knock and, sure enough, showed him sleep. He fell back to the ground, knocked out and defeated. However, they all didn't expect to see Gurgle turn into a purple mass and disintegrate into a blue orb. The orb, as though oblivious to what happened, zoomed away into the forest, ignoring Donald, Dallben, and Taran altogether.

"What was that?" asked Donald.

"Who knows, what I want to know is sleep myself," said Taran, yawning. "I'll have to sleep in for sure."

"Yes, rest is what we need now," said Dallben. "After that, we can discuss about this peculiar thing we just witnessed."

They left the smoky clearing behind, ready to get back to sleep as the forest resumed its calm, quiet manner.


	12. Chapter 12 Dall's Lair

Chapter 12 Dall's Lair

After sleeping in and eating a hearty breakfast, everyone stared at Eilonwy and Mickey. Even hours after Gurgle's break-in they were still in their tired state. They stared into space with the most vacant of expressions, and it all confounded Basil.

"I suppose that Gurgle must have put some kind of harmful liquid in their water cups," he said.

"I was thinking the same thing," said Taran. "But I want to know how to cure it."

"That is why I am so confused," retorted Basil.

Donald sighed and looked out the window as if searching for it in the backyard. He hated to see his pal Mickey having some kind of amnesia going on, and it irritated him that someone would do something like this. One thing was sure though, it was not good at all to be sitting around.

"How about we go find this cure?" he suggested.

"Good idea, Donald, but where are we gonna go?" asked Minnie.

"I may have an idea," said Dallben. "Should Dall have something like it?"

That was something new, everyone perked up at the mention of the shady side enchanter. If Gurgle did use a poison on Mickey and Eilonwy, then only Dall could have the antidote to rid them of it. Fflewddur thought it was a brilliant idea at first, smiling with content, but he groaned when he realized that it might involve going back to that cursed island.

"I hope we don't go back to that island!" he said, no one understanding what he said except the Disney 80's League.

…

While Gurgle and the tree monster were off fighting Donald and his friends, Dall was sleeping calmly in his bed, dreaming about all the powerful spells he would have at his disposal. That fool Dallben would have been monster feed, and then he would be the most powerful wizard in all Prydain, ruling the land alongside Sir Taran. That boy, he might have been a warrior, but he was a young one, and young ones were easy to get around. Dall was certain that he would wield considerable influence around the castle, even giving the warrior advice if he needed it. So much for the High King, Dall smiled with amusement as he thought these thoughts.

However, a chill stretched through him from his hair to his toes the moment when Gurgle was defeated and disintegrated into a strange, blue orb. He himself glowed faintly, but it was only for a fleeting second. He never opened his eyes, and he never got up, but Dall knew that his plans were hurt.

So when morning arrived, he jumped out of his bed and strode around his home in a commanding manner. Sir Taran was confused to see him so distraught, but he never dared to resist him. Grumpiness should not allow turning into anger. He stared at him with a stare as cold as the hardest frost.

"Gurgle is out," he said, sounding dangerously quiet. "He has failed."

"That's too bad," replied Sir Taran. "Those that fail don't need to be all upset over."

"But do you realize, boy?" said Dall. "Those powers have once again eluded me."

He shook his head and turned to stare at the still ocean outside, scanning the horizon for the ship that those blasted characters took from Sir Taran. How much he wanted to go round them up and make them pay dearly. Those that would take his desire away from him so easily must be gotten rid of, and then nothing could stand in his way. Although he could spend hours gloating over the powers he will soon possess, it would be better off if he went to action so they could be his.

"You know," he said. "I am a tad tired of residing on my little island."

"I can see that," said Sir Taran. "You've been here for a good month now."

"Aye, that is true," replied Dall. "Perhaps we could move to my…hidden palace."

The warrior stared at him funny, as though he had been keeping a secret from him for so long. He knew that this shack, supposed to be like Caer Dallben, was a temporary home, but he did not expect his master to go back to the world underground. Far below the fair folk's cave it was, and it was by far the perfect place to hide and plot further plans.

"Do you mean the Fair Palace?" said Sir Taran. "What would you want down there?"

"Ha, always the curious one, are you?" asked Dall. "Well, it is where there is the one thing that will take away Dallben's power, a machine of great strength! Ancient, it is, and very cleverly hidden too! Only I know where to find it! If one such as you were to go down and explore, you would be more lost than a chicken without a head!"

"Why would I go down there anyway?" grumbled Sir Taran, frowning. "I have no business down there!"

"Well, I do, and you are coming with me," said Dall, packing his things. "We leave now."

What things he gathered to take him with were small, and the shady sides and Horny's former henchmen sent off on a series of boats. Dall stood at the front of the fleet of the small boats, his eyes firmly set forward. Sir Taran tended to the rowing, with Stick and Cricket, the two henchmen, going about spurring on their friends to row harder. Dall did not mind if they hurried or not though, he would get those powers eventually. It was a matter of when.

…

Far in the outer reaches of Prydain stood the front of a great stone palace, its entrance leading into darkness. Seagulls soared in front of it, chattering loudly. The water was shallow and murky, with mud concealing countless fish and rocks that no one would want to step on. The stones that jutted from the shore were big and golden brown, dulled by the heavy clouds in the sky that shunned sunshine. Waves brushed carelessly onto this tricky shore, casual but strong. No big ship would want to come near such a place.

Stick, the creature that looked like a green rod with an elfish head and insect eyes, gazed at the water. Cricket, his green elfish body bulging, turned around to see his companion looking down.

"Oh no, Stick, don't lean like that!" he told him. "There's currents down there that can sweep you out to sea!"

"Sssssso I knooow," he said. "I'm nooo foool."

"Good, then I suggest you look ahead to where we're going," replied Cricket.

Dall felt like he was going home. He sniffed the air and took a deep breath, gratified to be back. From the cave entrance shown an invisible force of longing into him, and it made him almost jovial. His boat came to rest on the sand, and he jumped off and eagerly entered into the darkness. Sir Taran and the minions had to hurry in order to catch up.

Lovingly turning to the stone walls on each side of him, Dall blew kisses and raised his hands to the ceiling. His strange antics made Sir Taran snicker, but he quickly stifled it in case Dall were to whirl around and scold him. A quick wind whirled past the shady side, blowing back his white hair and fluttering his hood. Opening his mouth, Dall sensed it was beckoning for him, and ambled down the narrow stone path that led ever deeper into the cave.

"I can feel my home call for me," he gasped.

When the darkness was coming on him, he lit up a small lantern and watched his steps, careful not to trip over the rocks that dotted the path. Small pools of water were scattered around, and the minions carelessly stepped in them so much that the cave was filled with the splatters of stepped water. It was a distraction, but Dall was firmly set on his intended destination. The walls on either side of him weaved left and right, taking him through twists and bends that would make an awful maze if there was a series of them instead of one path.

"How exactly deep is this?" asked Sir Taran.

"It is deep, but not endless," replied Dall. "It will come up in time."

Time seemed to be slowed in the cave. Only the footsteps of the creatures and the occasional dripping of water could be heard. A stray bat would often swoop by as though lost, and every now and then a cave salamander as white as ice would scatter away from the trekkers. No one spoke while they treaded ever more down, not bothering to break the silence of the rocky realm.

Then, from around a casual corner came a sight that took all of their breath away. It was an enormous chamber several hundred feet high, containing a stone castle that seemed like it was once on the surface before eroding down into the cave. Fine architecture was carved on its roof and walls, and three stone spikes protruded from the top. A small tower stood on each side of the building, and a wide circle of blackness surrounded it like a bottomless moat. The stone drawbridge was a massive stone of ancient age, far older than any of the creatures in front of it now.

"Here we are," said Dall. "Welcome to Fair Palace!"

As if on cue, the drawbridge was raised down with a resounding boom over the blackness. What lied inside was a large foyer of finely shaped rock jars and pottery. Everyone entered with a hint of curiosity, eager to explore Dall's little stone palace. But before they could go into any of the rooms, they suddenly witnessed Dall dash to the one below the main floor. Sir Taran quickly joined him and saw a large machine of strange contraptions standing on a tiled floor. The basement where this thing rested was lit up with a fiery glow when Dall turned it on.

"My, have I not seen you in ages," said Dall to his machine. "Never fear, I will use you right this moment."

And use it he did, for it raised such a loud noise that the rock walls seemed to shake as it shook, and the floor bounced as it bounced, and an unnatural light flickered at its core. Now that he had his chance, Dall raised his arms to prepare to cast his spell.

"Fair contraption of the Fair Palace, seek for me the powers of Dallben!" he chanted. "Bounce and shake for it to make, a light that will have the power to take!"

Then the light, in a sudden flash, spread over the whole basement in a second and was gone. With the work carried out, Dall took a nearby seat and sat, waiting for the powers to come to him. Sir Taran stood on the stairwell, staring at his master with wonder.

"Why are you standing there, boy?" asked Dall. "Leave me be so I can wait for my prize!"

With a grumble, the warrior left, and Dall lowered his head with a grin, cherishing the power hungry thoughts swirling around in his mind. Any minute now, the light will return with that fool Dallben's powers, and then he, Dall the shady side, will be unstoppable! He could just taste the rewards at that moment, and how sweet they really were!

When Sir Taran came up to the main floor, he beckoned Cricket to come meet him. Curious, the minion obeyed, and leaned in close to hear Sir Taran's whispers. The warrior boy sure sounded suspicious and it was never too good for him to feel that way. Usually it meant that someone was going to be in big trouble.

"Keep an eye on Dall, will you?" he whispered to Cricket. "I think he thinks he'll be more powerful than me. We'll see about that."

…

Donald and his pals waved the Disney 80's League off as they took their walk to the sea, back where Horny's once prized battleship was washed up. Once Fflewddur was the last to go away, Donald turned to Mickey, who was now sitting on the ground batting his eyes. Sighing with disappointment, Donald waddled back into the house to have breakfast with Taran.

"Phooey, what're we gonna do?" he mumbled.

"Not much, Donald," said Taran. "All we can do is wait for them to come back for the medicine."

"Yeah, but I don't get it!" pouted Donald. "They don't even know what it looks like!"

"I know, I know," replied Taran, getting out of his chair. "I need to go check on Hen Wen for just a minute."

Glaring at his plate as he walked away, Donald scorned Gurgle for all he did to his pal, Mickey. The last thing he wanted to do right now was waiting. What he wanted to do is go out and show Dall some of his moves, but no, he had to wait for who knows how long for the league to come back. What if they got the wrong medicine? He only folded his arms in a half-hearted attempt to keep his impatience down.

Taran had come out to Hen Wen's pen to notice something odd. Dallben was there, but he was leaning over as if exhausted. He came up to the old enchanter to support him up from the fence, and Dallben began wheezing. His eyes were half shut, and he stared at the assistant pig keeper with orange colors disturbing his vision. Hen Wen began nuzzling him for affection, but he took no heed of her. He was mainly trying to keep himself standing.

"Dallben, what's the matter?" asked Taran. "You don't look very good."

"My…my strength," he gasped. "It is slipping away…help."

Falling over onto Taran's shoulders, he had to steady himself with the big burden as he turned around to head back into the house. Despite a nagging fear, Taran remained positive and walked slowly to the kitchen to get his master water. The enchater patted his back and as he took him to a chair in the kitchen near the table.

"Don't worry, you may just need something to drink," offered Taran.

"I…I am afraid that might…not be enough," wheezed Dallben. "Take me to…Donald."

Donald eyed him cautiously as he sat next to him. Nervous, he gulped and tried to stare at Dallben in the face, but his eyes looked like they were flashing orange. Taran was not aware of this, and he cocked an eyebrow at Donald's strange behavior.

"What now, Donald, what's the matter with you?" he asked him.

"Uh, you might wanna look," said Donald. "They're flashing orange!"

Becoming confused yet uneasy, Taran came to Donald's side and looked. The sight spooked him, with Dallben falling face down into Donald's lap. Jumping three feet in the air, he was left hanging on the ceiling as lights poured out of the enchanter's body and flashed their way out of the window into the world. Everything in the kitchen was stirred and a buzzing noise was heard. Then it was gone.

"What happened?" exclaimed Taran. "Something terrible just happened!"

"Duh!" said Donald.

But the worrisome effects were not completely over just yet. From the hallway were Eilonwy sat in her trance, a faint blue light radiated around her. Her eyes flashed once, and then a strange thing happened. A blue silhouette of her body morphed out of her frame and copied her features. When it was all done, two Eilonwys sat next to each other. Now a shady side had been born.

"Donald, go see what that was in the hallway," said Taran.

"Do I have to?" he replied.

"What, are you scared?" asked Taran.

"Scared?" said Donald. "Donald Duck's not scared! Come and get me, palooka!"

He pounced out in front of the Eilonwy shady side, which was now standing and eyeing him amusedly. Yelling with fright, Donald turned tail and ran back into the kitchen, taking cover behind a chair. Taran would have scolded him, but he soon found what scared him appear right in front of him. He knew this was not the real princess.

"Wha, what might you…be?" he stuttered.

"Silly Taran, don't you know what I am?" she asked. "I'm a shady side, ready to serve the Head Hag and…oh dear, I wasn't supposed to say that, right?"

"What did you do with Eilonwy?" he questioned angrily.

The shady side princess giggled and stepped aside to reveal that the real character was wide-awake, staring at her clone strangely. Squealing, she jumped to Taran's side as though he was her bodyguard. The spell was gone from her now, and the shady side saw no more reason to be standing around. She skipped to the doorframe before pausing.

"Goodbye, real characters! If the duck feels more valiant, please tell him that I plan to meet with that dashing Sir Taran and become queen of…oh, dear….I wasn't supposed to say that as well. Oh, I must be going, right? Goodness gracious, here I am, borne from my shell and now I'm left standing around stammering. I must go and…no, silly princess, don't reveal any more plans!" she said.

She went out the door and wandered away from Caer Dallben, humming as though cheerful for the day. Unfortunately, Donald was less than cheerful. He jumped right out of the door and boxed at the figure of Eilonwy's shady side. It annoyed him that the one thing that scared him was a talkative female shady side that would probably not have hurt him in the first place.

"Vailant?" he quacked. "You come back here and run your big mouth at me again, little miss palooka!"

"Donald, Donald, let her go," said Eilonwy. "My, I have a feeling we'll meet her again someday."

"Yeah, and then I'll show her what valiant looks like!" vowed Donald.

"Oh, what's happening to me?" mumbled a voice.

The two turned to see Mickey Mouse walk slowly toward them, his hand on his head. It looked like he was out of his state too, for his eyes were no longer tired. He came up to the puzzled Donald and fell flat on his bottom to rest. Minnie was soon near him, tending to him with a cup of warm milk.

"Here, Mickey, have something to perk you up!" she said to him.

"So, both of you are normal again?" asked Taran. "There's no need for medicine anymore?"

"Apparently not, Taran," said Eilonwy. "Why would we need medicine?"

"The Disney 80's League went on a quest to find it," he explained. "We have to tell them you've recovered now."

…

The quest for medicine had landed the league nowhere. Not wanting to go the same routes, they decided to go down a different trail that Fflewddur used to walk during his harp playing days. At the moment, he was playing his instrument to pass the time.

"Is it true that you played your harp for people?" asked Jenny.

"True?" said Fflewddur. "It was real! I was the local sensation wherever I went. There is a village coming up that we must go to. You haven't seen very many people in Prydain, have you?"

"I thought it was just the main characters that lived in this whole place!" said Fagin.

"Ha ha, you haven't seen anything, my friend," he said. "Say, is that a camp I see over there?"

There was a camp over on the side of the trail. A collection of black tents were grouped together in a wide circle, and a great fire crackled at is center. People in hoods and robes were crowded around.

"That Mickey sure gave us some good advice, eh, Cap'n?" said a squeaky voice. "Why do we have to wear these robes?"

"Hush, Smee, we may be spied on by that blasted Horny!" hissed Captain Hook.

"Sorry, Cap'n, just wondering," apologized Smee.

"Wonder about this, will ya?" said Pete. "That Horny's as good as gone! Know why? I was all knocked out while that creep was around posing as me, and then when he was a goner, I came to!"

The Disney 80's League stopped to watch the strange group. Fflewddur, never one to deny an audience, started to walk toward their camp.

"Just where do you think you're going?" asked Basil. "Anyone can see they are nothing but trouble, much less me!"

"Oh, come on now, my little mouse detective," said Fflewddur. "They might be lonely and need music to brighten their sprits, and Fflewddur Fflam will deliver it!"

And so he went to enter the camp, with the rest of the league tagging along. Basil only glared and shook his head, stomping onward to catch up. One of the firgures turned to see the group come, and it whispered to the next one, and the next one, before the whole group stood up to approach the cheery bard.

"This will not end well, or I am not Basil of Baker Street!" said Basil to himself.


	13. Chapter 13 The League's Challenge

Chapter 13 The League's Challenge

Fflewddur had to admit, seeing a collection of villainous faces come to him was quite surprising. They definitely did not look very lonely at all. A perfectly wretched woman saw his lyre, shaking in the bard's uneasy hands. At first, the group thought he was an ordinary, foolish traveler, but their eyelids were raised and smiles widened when it dawned on them that he was one of the characters at the House of Mouse that one night. Now finally they had stumbled upon one of their targets.

"Why, you are the bard from that movie everyone hated!" said Cruella De Vil.

"Are you for real? We just came up to em' like that?" squawked the obnoxious voice of Iago the parrot.

"Silence, Iago, let us treasure our moment here," said the sorcerer, Jafar.

Fflewddur certainly was not treasuring the moment. He gulped and looked to see Basil standing not far behind with his arms crossed, his face saying, "I told you so." Lost for words, Fflewddur tried to think back to that night when a hook poked his chest.

"So, you lads were out for a little walk in the woods, were you?" he questioned.

"I suppose so, until I saw you all here," said Fflewddur.

"And you just so happened to come pay us a visit?" he asked.

"Most likely," replied Fflewddur, visibly shaken.

Snickering, the villains were hushed when the bulging form of Pete stomped up to Fflewddur and bumped him back with his belly. Startled, the bard looked up at the face of the person he did not want to see at a time like this. The league corralled around near Fflewddur so that way they would not be easily bullied by this big bully.

"Well, all those days and nights campin' around here paid off, eh?" said Pete. "Who would've thought somebody like you would skip around and bump right into me? Let me tell ya something, Fflewddur whatever, yer days of being in the shadows are through!"

"Whatever do you mean by that, you rogue?" snapped Fflewddur, gaining confidence.

"There's a village near this place, see?" mumbled Pete, catching Fflewddur by surprise. "Oh, you know that place too, do ya? A nice little town with people and everything, right? Anyway, I've got a bargain with you! If ya go to that town and do some singin' I'll go and help you with whatever you're doin' and get you off my chest. It'll save us both some slack. Once that's all done, we'll never have to deal with each other again. Got that?"

Pondering this bargain, Fflewddur had plenty of doubts about Pete following through with it. What would the point be if he came all the way to Prydain with a band of villains just to help him? Did he not hate The Black Cauldron? It was so obviously flawed that he could have went ahead and denied the deal right at the moment, but then what would his villainous buddies do? Questions dogged his mind until he shook his head with gusto and quickly nodded.

"Yes, yes, we have a deal!" he blurted. "This is just as long as you get off my chest for good!"

"Now, that's what I'm talkin' about!" said Pete. "Meet me at the town and let's rock the house down! If ya don't, I'll hunt ya down and hit ya on the head with yer own lyre! Got that?"

The villains and Pete left camp in the direction of the town, leaving Fflewddur frightened and not relieved in the least. Basil, not surprised at his problems, came up to the bard and chastised him.

"Are you mad? You have put the entire Disney 80's League in great peril!" he told him.

"So I know, Basil, so I know," whimpered Fflewddur.

"Now we have no choice but to go there and face certain disaster!" pouted Basil. "We must prepare ourselves."

However, there was not much preparing going on as he followed in the footsteps of the evil band. Fagin rummaged in his coat pockets nervously and Jenny clung to Widow Tweed with worry, the old woman shaking silently. Dawson shook his head as Basil quietly wished that he had some kind of weapon to defend himself. The whole league was tense, but none of them was as on the edge as Fflewddur Fflam. Each step he took only mounted to the growing dread of the oncoming town ahead.

…

In the town that was never featured in The Black Cauldron, common people worked their chores and horses carrying supplies and goods came in and out of the market square. Children played in the streets and women hung laundry as cats, dogs, birds, and goats rollicked around the town. The center of this town, a circle with a clearing made to make room for a performance, had been left empty for a long time. In fact, it had been years since a band of traveling players and bards came to perform, but the whole community was in for a performance that was not going to forgotten any time soon.

It began with the group of villains, shuffling into the market like cloaked sprits. Heads turned and eyebrows were cocked at the strange sight, but they took no heed of it. Their sights were set on the circle, and they broke up into a circle themselves when they reached it, surrounding the area like guards. Pete temporally lifted up his head to see the form of the Disney 80's League come walking to town, and he grinned nastily as he put his hood back down.

"Where did the ruffians go now?" asked Fflewddur. "Ah, there they are!"

Seeing crowds had made Fflewddur feel more confident and it was especially heightened when he imagined the crowds cheering for him. He tuned his lyre just once and then skipped to the circle, brushing through the cloaks and spinning into the very center of the hustle and bustle. He cleared his throat and spoke loud enough for all to hear.

"Welcome, my fine folk! I came here today to give you all a grand performance of utmost enchantment!" he called.

It was enough to make the busy townspeople halt their work and stare at the old bard grinning widely and raising his arms to the sky. The league quickly blended into the forming audience, excited to see Fflewddur about to sing but nervous about what the cloaked villains would do since they had him surrounded.

"I, Fflewddur Fflam, am a bard that can sing and dance my very heart out!" said Fflewddur. "You lucky people are about to witness my first performance in a very long time! What I am about to sing is a song that I have made while on my way to this fine town, and so I hope you enjoy!"

While he was speaking, Jenny noticed that one of the cloaked figures nodded to the other, and the other raised his hook to make a gesture of slicing his throat. She whispered to Widow Tweed, who whispered to Fagin, and eventually the message came to Basil.

"Precisely as I thought," he said. "Our talented bard is in danger, and we must help him!"

The league huddled around to discuss their plan as Fflewddur gave his lyre a twang and cleared his throat again. Like a strange band of dancers, the robed villains moved around him like a spinning ring, but he paid no attention to their demonstration. He had closed his eyes and sang a note that was raised above the town's rooftops and drifted into the audiences' ears.

"I am Fflewddur Fflam

A most kindly bard that can belong

And when I sing, oh, how the people sway!

Some say I have a tongue of gold

While others say I'm just too old

But I shall still sing my heart out to all of you!"

Here he began increasing his lyre's tempo, getting everyone to start clapping to the beat. The league snuck through the jubilant audience and was near the circle of robed characters. However, before Basil could break through the circle, a shoe with a curved tip kicked him backward, launching him onto the chest of a woman. Screeching, she took the poor mouse detective and flung him far away deep into the audience. Scattered cries alerted everyone near that a clothed mouse was jumping around, and it only upped the fun-filled nature of the performance.

"A bard is a good old man

Who can do the very best he can

And still be mighty resourceful at that!

So clap your hands and stomp your feet

You're about to witness a good old feat

Of fun and laughter and simple jubilation!"

Now Fflewddur began to dance in a resourceful manner surprising for someone of old age. His feet moved up and down and seemed to go in different directions like he had his own style of tap-dancing, and it got the audience pumped. Some of the members broke up into pairs and danced in the square, twirling their partners around and laughing and hooting away at it all. Basil, in a fit of confusion, stumbled into a stout man with hardy shoes, and that sent him backward into another set of shoes that seemed to kick him back into place, only to have another set prop him up.

"Fflewddur Fflam never learned of boredom

In fact, he was happy and free since the crack of dawn

For he was a man of such happy grace

That he never failed to put a smile on a face!

So if you feel down-trodden and some such

Come see Fflewddur and it'll do you much!"

After a few minutes of fooling around, the villains grew impatient. One of them sneaked up behind the joyful Fflewddur and had her hand out to yank him when from out of nowhere came Fagin charging in and taking the villain's hand. Starting a clumsy dance, he had Cruella stomping around to his beat that was off Fflewddur's and it made the devil woman upset to say the least. There was no one to save her though, for she was laughed at by her very colleagues. They stopped when they saw the league glaring at them, and they shuffled away in a very aloof manner. Cruella forced herself off Fagin, who was then dancing in his own goofy dance, swinging his arms from side-to-side in lanky movements. Cruella balked and stormed out of the audience.

"There was a time in his life

When Fflewddur sang to the king's court

And all who heard his beautiful song

Wept happily in cheerful cheer!"

_Snap!_ There went a chord of his lyre, but he was now so into his music that he simply decided to use the distraction to his advantage. It played a high pitched note when he strung its jutted edge, and it added a new twist to his song. Someone in the crowd, a little man in his robe, swiped a nearby bag of grain and rattled it to the beat. His big pink nose poked out, and Basil, stumbling around, noticed it. Intrigued, he came up to the figure, and from where he stood he saw that it was Smee doing the noise. Then amongst the celebratory hubbub, the mouse detective thought up a plan.

"Now I reach my soon-to-be end

I hope that your joy will not bend

For Fflewddur Fflam is not at all mum

If so I might as well be a total bum!"

There was loud laughter erupting from somewhere in the crowd. Fflewddur stopped and smiled broadly, thinking it was for his silly rhyming. But when he saw Smee jumping and dashing around like something crazy, he knew something was amiss. It was certainly amiss when the pirate came right to him in a fit and danced all around him. Underneath his robe, Basil was performing the most awful fit of tickling he could do.

"Cap'n, oh Cap'n, save me from the dreadful tickles!" pleaded Smee. "Oh, oh, heeheehee, hahahahah! Whatever will I do?"

"And so farewell, my faithful audience

My show has come to an end

Off into the horizon I go

Fflewddur Fflaaaam wishes you all goodbye!"

And away Fflewddur Fflam did go, going off to the horizon the quickest way he could. The audience cheered as they gave him pats on the back, seeing him off. Basil poked out of Smee's collar behind his head and climbed down to follow him. The others in the league followed suit, while the villains were virtually cut off from them. One of them approached Smee, and it was clear that he was angry even with his hood on.

"Ah, the tickling's over…what's the matter, Cap'n?" asked Smee.

…

"Oh, how lovely his voice is!" chuckled Orwen.

"Hush, sister, we didn't just float over here to gawk!" piped Orgoch.

The festivities had been so rambunctious that no one noticed that the skies had darkened. While Fflewddur was singing away, the witches had come to spy on the league. Their cottage was repaired to the very best it could, and now they had sworn revenge on the ones that denied them feasting on the duck.

"Now," said Orduu. "I will cast my spell quick and sure, and we shall all have food to eat!"

Her blue arms were raised and an unearthly glow lit in her eyes. Then a group of agitated robed villains saw them as plain as ever. Like ghosts coming to haunt, they came up to the witches with suspicion. Orduu immediately put her arms down and smiled innocently.

"Oh, dearie me, I didn't mean to cast a spell on you!" she said. "It was just that horrible bard I wanted!"

"You want him too, huh?" questioned Pete, taking his hood off and glaring at the witches.

"Well, well, well, look at this, sisters, Pete is here!" said Orduu to her sisters.

"Right, listen up!" said Pete. "I'm not gonna answer to you three; you just joined our side now!"

…

At Caer Dallben, Mickey was explaining the strange things he went through with Donald.

"It was really weird, Donald, I felt all dazed and everything!" he said. "And I bet I know what it was all for!"

"Ya do?" asked Donald.

"Yup, that drink Gurgle gave me was supposed to make a shady side out of me!" exclaimed Mickey.

He took the cup that held the liquid and looked it over, seeing the strange coating still in the inside. Donald gulped when he handed it over to him. He could not imagine his best friend becoming a shady side loser like those others. He thanked his lucky stars that Gurgle did not give him something to drink. Then he could have had to deal with a shady side of him, and it was so terrible to think about that he dumped the thought.

"Phooey," groaned Donald. "How did ya get out of it all, Mickey?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure there's a reason I didn't get a shady side," said Mickey. "Thing is, I'm not exactly forgotten at all. I'm the most famous cartoon in the world, ya know? And since someone like Eilonwy, a character from The Black Cauldron, is unknown to almost everybody, that makes her fine and dandy to make a shady side! Gosh, I wish no character had to have that happen, unknown or famous!"

As they thought many thoughts about the whole shady side debacle, Taran was upstairs sitting next to the weak Dallben, who was sleeping. He looked over his guardian with determined eyes, and his fists clenched in stress. Finally having enough, a rousing sprit arose within him, and he dashed down the steps and past Donald and Mickey to come out front in the property and scatter the geese. His eyes had the fire of a warrior in them.

"Evil sprits of obscurity!" yelled Taran to the air. "Spawn of forgetfulness! You have finally pushed me to the limit! Come here, you rotten cowards, and try to take Dallben and me down. You want to destroy us? Come and face me and try! Whoever your leader is, this Head Hag, let her hear me!"

And hear him she did, far away in a realm where nothing mattered. Through the mist and the uncertainty, a fat witch with a glass cauldron heard his cry from the waves that carried it through the air. A nasty grin formed and eyes devoid of light and gentleness flashed once in malicious glee. Her gloved hand stirred the cauldron once, and the image of Taran changed to the three witches going on their way back to the cottage. It was time for the Head Hag to make a little call for assistance.

"Oh, zisters," she wheezed. "Play timez over, now let'z carry on with our planz!"


	14. Chapter 14 Witch Hunt

Chapter 14 Witch Hunt

Her cold words stinging their old ears, the three witches cringed at the message of their secret boss. Orduu was a bit mad at the disturbance since she was currently wooing the robed villains and Pete, but she took the time to leave their conversation hanging and press her gnarled ear to the still air.

"Yes, oh heady one," she said, making the watchful villains perplexed. "What is it you desire?"

"I dezire zome action, Orduu!" hissed the Head Hag, her moaning voice carrying over the air like a bad smell. "Taran, that foolizh boy of brazhness, challengez me to face him. Ba ha! He'z crazy, no one can face the powerful Head Hag! One look from him at me would horrify him eazily!"

"What's that ole haggy cocking her ear for?" snapped Iago. "One moment she's talkin' to us and bam! She's in la-la land!"

Orduu shot the parrot a glare and resumed to her listening position. The Head Hag had said her awful bit, and so by cracking her lips, the witch addressed her back. It might have looked like she was talking to thin air, but she was talking to the invisible sound waves that traveled through it.

"You must be talking about that boy that thinks he's such a hero!" she said. "Bah! No need to fear him, my headiness. We can take care of the likes of him!"

"Good," wheezed the Head Hag. "I juzt wanted to inform of you that you muzt do your work, or I will make you do it myzelf!"

All three witches shivered, knowing full well that they never wanted their boss to make them go to work. Orwen opened her ancient mouth to speak, but a halt in the stream of sound waves made her close. The Head Hag was done speaking to them at this time.

"What was that all about?" piped up Pete.

"A simple chat with our boss, that's what!" replied Orduu. "Would you listen to your boss? Now listen here if you want to ruin The Black Cauldron."

…

Fflewddur and the Disney 80's League were cheerful to say the least that the villains were off their back. The bard was humming and carrying on, playing his lyre every now and then to express his joy of giving the best performance he made in years.

"If you ever doubted me before, you might as well never doubt me again!" said Fflewddur. "I am the ultimate bard!"

"Well, I suppose you were fairly entertaining," admitted Basil.

"What's this? Am I hearing right? Basil the great mouse detective is saying something positive about Fflewddur Fflam? Oh, happy day indeed! Come to it, little mouse, say that I can get myself out of any situation, will you?" pressed Fflewddur.

The wooded trail they were walking through was serene and remarkably calm. The town that they left was still energetic over the performance they just witnessed, but the surrounding countryside was carrying on as usual. Birds chirped here and there and the sunlight shone through to the ground in brightness. The clouds were few and the sky was a healthy blue. Rolling hills dotted the landscape, and behind of one came the shady side of Eilonwy, carefree as ever. Humming along to her own little songs, she had all the time in her hands. There was no rush to meet her dashing Sir Taran, and so with that she decided to take a scroll to have some fun.

"Do you hear something?" muttered Fflewddur, cocking an ear. "I think I hear someone coming."

Not sounding like much of a threat to anyone, the league stood to the side of the trail and craned their necks to peer over the coming hill. First they saw the blond hair. Second was the beautiful face of a princess. It took no more looks for Fflewddur to see, he knew he was looking at the princess. It was too bad he did not know it was the shady side version.

"Eilonwy!" called Fflewddur. "How are you on this fine day of happiness?"

"Just fine, thank you!" replied the shady side. "I suppose the day is happy for you too?"

"You have no idea, my sweet princess," he said proudly. "I just performed a great presentation to all the townspeople!"

"That's wonderful!" she responded. "Now, if you excuse me, I must be away now."

Then it appeared as though she forgot all about Fflewddur Fflam. Skipping right by him, the bard felt cheated and slightly embarrassed. He whirled in front of the shady side princess and cocked an eyebrow, not pleased at her behavior.

"Is that all?" he questioned. "Do not just leave me in the wind, princess!"

"Princess?" she said. "Oh, you must be referring to Eilonwy!"

"Yes, that would be you!" snapped Fflewddur. "There can only be one Princess Eilonwy!"

"That's quite correct, and she's back at Caer Dallben at this moment," replied the shady side huffily.

The old bard looked at her as though she were mad. All of the other league members were confused at the situation they were witnessing, and they turned to Fflewddur with puzzled expressions. Eilonwy the shady side giggled at them all and set out to make it all perfectly clear.

"I'm not princess Eilonwy, but rather her shady side," she said. "I am going to see…eeeek!"

Swamped by the Disney 80's League, she found herself being tussled around and pulled mirthlessly. Outraged and scared at the same time, Fflewddur was the one who looked the most surprised. Clutching on to her dress with a vice-like grip, his wrinkles shook as he cried out with shock.

"What did you do to my sweet, little Eilonwy, you witch!" he demanded. "Speak, or you'll shortly be with your Gurgle friend!"

"Unhand me, you barbaric old man!" she snapped. "I didn't hurt a hair on that girl!"

"Yeah right!" barked Fagin. "Ya did somethin' evil to her, I just know it!"

"Evil?" she said. "We shady sides don't do evil!"

"Wrong!" roared the whole league.

Tearing out of their circle, the princess shady side dashed to where she could, brushing past bushes and jumping over little streams. The league was in pursuit, each one of them wanting to avenge the real Eilonwy. However, just when they got into the bushes where she stormed through, a breath of wind blew by and they could not see her anymore.

"Flew the coop, it appears," mumbled Basil.

"That fake Dall and the ugly Gurgle were bad enough, but that one will be trouble!" said Fflewddur.

"Dreadful, just dreadful," whimpered Widow Tweed. "I can't stand to be away from Caer Dallben and away from that poor girl. It would be the horror of me to see her lying in bed with who knows what kind of nasty illness! I say we go back to Caer Dallben and see what happened!"

Everyone in the league agreed, and with the directions of Fflewddur to guide them, they were well on their way back to the farm house to check on the princess and see how Donald was doing.

…

After the league set off to Caer Dallben, a black carriage pulled by devilish black horses was being dragged through the countryside roads with screeching gwythaints overhead. Inside the gloomy carriage sat the Horned King in complete silence, a cloaked skeleton just sitting in one spot. His henchman, Creeper, was sprawled on the floor with a wet cloth around his neck to stop the ache his master's strangling made. Sad, pitiful, and disoriented, the goblin was slouched over like a lazy frog, mumbling gibberish underneath his breath.

"Pete, Pete, what is this Pete? Is he a character, is he a beast? For he sure gave me a throbbing with sire's big, bony hands and I deserve a feast, that would be a feat. That with which this Pete might perform a horrible feat and come flying down on me in an incredible feat, stomping with his big feet on the ground to signal my defeat," muttered Creeper.

Outside, the ruffian man driving the carriage howled with fright when something dashed in front of him. Veering off to the side of the trail, the runner, who was Eilonwy's splitting image, stopped and gasped at what she caused. The driver was rolling his eyes when she came up to him and patted his head to check for any bumps.

"Terribly sorry about that, sir, are you all right?" she asked.

"Gurg…watch where yer goin' next time, lady," he mumbled.

"Wonderful advice, I'll take note of it," she then said. "Excuse me, where are the passengers?"

She had poked her head inside the carriage and saw the Horned King sitting erect in his chair, seeming neutral even through the incident. Creeper perked up his head when he saw the shady side princess and then dropped his head back down.

"You seem familiar," growled the Horned King.

"Really?" said the princess. "I don't remember you."

"You mean to tell me you don't remember sire?" blurted Creeper into action.

The king slowly rose and approached the false princess, making her slightly concerned. Stopping just a few inches from her, his skeletal face gazed at her features and then when it came time to speak he did so with a cryptic menace.

"You must be one of the boy's accomplices," he said.

"I take it you mean Sir Taran?" she said, willfully ignorant. "If so, then yes indeed!"

Suddenly, the Horned King seized her shoulder and with firm strength took her to the back of the carriage and dropped her on the floor. She could only make out a stifled scream until the carriage was brought back to life and made its way back to the castle.

"You and I must have a conversation," said the Horned King.

…

The alliance of witches and villains was complete, and they were nearing the Caer Dallben residence when Donald was out taking a walk. Ever since Taran's outburst he had set off to fight this Head Hag, and he made a vow to not come back until she was defeated. Donald balked at the notion and kicked a rock down the hill. Doing something like that was just asking for some trouble, and it sure made him uncomfortable about him having to go and find Taran to get him out of a bind when he got stuck. Donald predicted it was going to happen. It was just a matter of when.

"Heh, might as well stick around for trouble," he mumbled.

The geese started to circle around him, and their honking was agitating Donald even more. Squawking at one that got too close to comfort, he jumped out of the bunch and noticed that someone was approaching the house's front door. Cloaked and chubby, the lumbering figure knocked at the door a few times, then grew impatient and rammed inside. Donald could hear Minnie give a gasp of surprise when she saw who it was.

"Pete, don't scare me like that!" she said.

"What?" exclaimed Pete. "What're you doing here? Where's that pigboy at?"

"He ran off to fight some kind of hag," said Mickey, coming in from the kitchen. "What are _you _doing here, Pete?"

"None of your business!" barked Pete. "My business is with that kid!"

"Well, you have no business snooping around here!" quacked Donald, bursting into the scene.

Pete's bad friends, who were huddled outside, came into the building to see what the talk was all about. Mickey made a little jump when he saw that they were the same group that he gave directions too back in Toon Town that one day. He stared at them, then Pete, and then back at them again. Finally, Donald snuck behind one of them and yanked off a cloak, revealing Smee to Mickey.

"Oh dear, was that a breeze?" said Smee.

"No Smee, it was that blasted Donald Duck! He's here!" said Captain Hook, letting go of his disguise.

"Just what do you think you're doing away from the House of Mouse?" questioned Minnie.

Pete, tired of all the questions, stood up on the kitchen stool so he could be seen above everyone and brainstormed ideas. Knowing how mischievous he could be, a simple, yet possible effective scheme formed in his gloomy head. Making a sly grin, Pete cleared his throat and got the immediate attention of Donald and friends.

"I know you have a whole lot of questions to ask and everything," said Pete. "But we have a little problem here."

"Which is?" said Mickey.

"We came down to Prydain to find some witches that treated us wrong," said Pete. "You see, that Horny fella was me wearing a cursed robe that those darn witches gave me. I had no idea, you know, and because of that I was cursed! I thought I was some kind of Horned King! Because of that, those witches could manipulate me into getting what their Head Hag boss wants, the whole conquering of this dumpy kingdom! We guys don't want some kind of witch messing with our business, you know. So I wonder, would you just try to find those witches and give it to them?"

By the looks on their faces, they certainly did not seem to be moved by Pete's very quickly made up story. But when a new thought entered Minnie's head, she began to think that maybe Pete's account was not entirely a lie. He was Horny at some point, and the witches that Donald described were definitely makers of trouble, including their boss. Defeating them would be every bit as sweet as putting an end to the shady sides' schemes.

"I'm sure if we could track them down at their cottage, Mickey and Donald would save the day," said Minnie.

"Ah, Minnie," said Mickey. "How do ya know I can take on three witches?"

"Oh, Mickey," said Minnie. "You can take on anybody that would get in your way, I know you can!"

Donald, feeling that the mice were soon going to be swayed into action, took up a last defiance of Pete. Giving a look that would roast meat, Donald eyed Pete and his lot with scorn and suspicion. What did they think they were doing trying to fool them? Anybody with a sense of judgment could look upon these figures and see them as suspicious types. Suspicious types were not good types to Donald Duck. Mickey could see in his eyes that this duck was going nowhere. So, with that coming about, Mickey thought up a solution.

"Donald, if us two go to find these witches, will you stay and keep an eye on Dallben and Eilonwy?" asked Mickey.

_Phooey, didn't think of those two_ thought Donald. _With these palookas running around the house, I'll never get any sleep! What's Pete tryin' to do with me? What's Mickey tryin' to do to me? Aw, this is just too much. Well, if Mickey and Minnie are gonna try to find those palooka witches and I stay put here, then maybe it won't be too bad. I can handle these guys, I know I can!_

"Fine, go and get em'!" said Donald.

"Good old Donald, always a nice buddy!" said Mickey cheerily.

"Better go now, Mickey, there's no telling where those witches are floating around next!" said Pete.

Glad to be going away from the secretive group, Mickey and Minnie hurriedly left the home and set off to the forest, keeping as much distance from Caer Dallben as possible. Mickey hoped that Donald would stand up to Pete and his gang, and he was right. Donald, now even more disappointed that he was alone, continued to give the group distasteful glances as he ascended the stairs to Dallben's room.

"Don't you steal anything!" he snapped. "If I find one little thing missing, I'll get ya!"

"No need to fear, Donald, don't get all worked up," reassured Pete. "There's no treasure here, is there?"

"Well, no!" replied Donald.

"Then, you better check on your Dallben friend there, whoever he is," said Pete.

Giving a huff and going upstairs, Donald went to check on the enchanter. Once he was gone, the villains took off their cloaks and stifled fits of laughter.

"Pete, you're the only one I know that can think up a silly story like that in such a short time!" said Cruella.

"Ah, give it a break," mumbled Pete. "That dumb duck will be on our tail like gorilla glue, and I don't want none of that! Let's give him something else to think about! Hook, Smee! Go over there and check the cupboards. Jafar, you know your chemistry stuff, go and check out whatever little laboratory Dallben's got going. As for me, I'll be paying a visit to that little piggie outside. The witches said that one's going to be important!"

None of them noticed that Eilonwy was watching from around the corner, freshly awakened from her nap.

…

_Where are you, you horrible witch queen? Wherever you are, the cottage of those three witches, or the very edge of the kingdom, I'll find you and slay you once and for all! I'm Taran, the assistant pig keeper of Caer Dallben, and I won't rest until I avenge Dallben's suffering at your clutches! The shady sides will find out their defeat is coming._

If Taran ever had a strong sense of being a warrior, he was acting like one now. Legs running, face hardened, determination spiked, he was set on the destruction of a great evil. If only he had a sword, then he would be strong enough to do just that. But Sir Taran, that big bully, he had the magic sword Drywyn at his side. He would have to wrest it from him, and so he was going to find him right now. Breathing hard and thinking fast, Taran kept the thoughts of will in his mind. It was like he was lost in a battle lust, begging to take it out on a mortal enemy. Wherever his shady side was, a ship at sea or a castle far away, he was to be found and destroyed.

Among his thoughts came one of where his friends were. Here he was, running to nowhere in particular but to find Sir Taran, while the Disney 80's League was off somewhere and maybe Mickey and Minnie as well. The thought of the spilt of these characters was also kept in his head.

_Maybe some day, very soon, we'll all come together again. When our running around is over, we'll be united as one, ready to defeat these villains once and for all. I can't wait for that. Having Donald take the lead for us will show the Head Hag how strong we can be. With Drywyn in my hands and Dallben to guide us, the shady sides will regreat ever trying to conquer Prydain!_


	15. Chapter 15 Eilonwy Captured

Chapter 15 Eilonwy Captured

One look at this bunch and the princess gasped. She laid a hand over her mouth to stifle it, and it came to be a close call, for the intruders had set about finding a secret potion of Dallben's for their unknown purpose. Fearful eyes darting from one form to the next, she crouched low to avoid detection and she felt her heart beating inside her. All it would take to see her would be one simple glance over the counter. Luckily, the bumbling Smee bypassed her, and not far behind came the fearsome Captain Hook keeping his lackey in line.

"The sooner we leave this filthy land the better!" he said. "Me crew will be wondering where their captain has gone too."

There was no way out for Eilonwy, she was surrounded by trouble makers from faraway lands. Feeling hopeless, she sighed quietly and awaited her doom. The doom, a hulking figure of a rival, came stomping around the corner and stared down at the new character with a mix of surprise and shock.

"Well! What's this we've got here?" he exclaimed. "There's a pretty little princess hidin' from us!"

At the mention of a princess, the whole lot gathered around Pete to stare at Eilonwy. Facing one after the other, she shook her head in disbelief and then stood up to make a simple curtsy.

"How do you do, fellow visitors?" she said. "My name is Princess Eilonwy. I see that you're fine leader here has seen me awaken from my slumber. My, you look rather powerful, who might you be, please?"

"The one, the only, Big Bad Pete at your service, your majesty!" gloated Pete. "You can bet I'm powerful alright! Your pallys just left to go deal with some pesky witches, but ole Donald's still upstairs takin' care of the enchanter runnin' this place. Say, now I remember, you must've been that sweet girl that showed up at the House of Mouse, the one that passed out when those deleted scenes were playn'."

His voice sounded awfully familiar. It was full of ridicule. Now she was vaguely recalling a large, robed villain that interrupted their show one night that seemed long ago. There were the horns, those silly, but disturbing eyes, and the cauldron. The cauldron! It hit her so hard that she began to believe she was staring at the owner of the cauldron.

"No, please!" she begged. "Whatever, you do, don't take me to the cauldron!"

Taken aback, Pete eyed the princess strangely. Then he got a sudden idea. Chuckling darkly, he ambled to a nearby rack and yanked a rain cloak off, wrapping himself in it and making a face.

"Oh, my, my, however did ya guess it was me?" he exclaimed. "Good ole Horny never thought he would be detected without his costume on!"

"You naughty villain!" snapped Eilonwy. "What brings someone like you to this fine kingdom?"

"If I could be frank about it, my dear, it would be The Black Cauldron sucks," he said. "And do ya know what I want to do to something that sucks?"

His colleagues had quickly caught on to his act, and looked on with grim pleasure. Eilonwy, hesitating to give an answer, instead took a broom and bonked it on the roof. Once, twice, she did this move, and there was a faint sound from above. Pete then knew what she was trying to do and decided to take harsh action. With a leap, he heaved the poor princess over his shoulder and barreled out the door.

"I take their own symbol and make em' eat it!" he bellowed on his way out.

Donald, roused by the broom noise, became fully alert when he heard Pete's voice. _Zip!_ Donald sped to the window just in time to see Mickey's rival and his friends escape Caer Dallben with Princess Eilonwy in tow. His head was turning red, flames breezed through his nostrils, and Donald jumped out the window in pursuit of the kidnapper.

"No-good, lousy, annoying, bone-headed, stupid, evil, pesky, Pete!" he yelled. "Wak!"

The fall was a tad too big.

…

Next thing he knew, he was the one taking turns on the bed, and Dallben acted as the nurse this time. The enchanter had all of the necessary potions on the table, and he took one cup to Donald's bill.

"I suggest you keep your temper down next time, even in the moment of crisis," he said to Donald.

"Aw, why, why didn't I stay down to keep an eye on that no-good Pete, why?" he mumbled.

"Because you were too concerned about me," said Dallben. "Now open your mouth and say, "Aaaaaah."

"Aaaaaaah…yuck, what did ya put in this stuff?" snapped Donald when he swallowed the potion.

His rear had redness from the fall he took, but nothing hurt Donald more than forgetting about Eilonwy, and now she was with Pete and his goons. Dallben sent Gurgi out to track them, but that gave Donald little satisfaction. He wanted nothing more than to go out, beat up Pete, and rescue the princess.

"Once I get outta this bed, I'm gonna knock some stars around Pete's big, fat head!" pouted Donald.

"Oh, no you won't, Donald Duck, you'll do nothing of the sort," said Dallben. "The foolishness that Taran has done on my behalf is enough. Once the potion has kicked in, I shall send you on your way to a cottage down the road from Caer Dallben. There, you will hide and further recover until Fflewddur or Mickey Mouse comes back safe and sound. The last thing I want is for a famous duck such as you to do like what my assistant pig keeper has done and have vengeance blind you. Foolish boy, I fear he has put himself in danger. "

"Wak! Why do ya always treat Taran like a kid? He can take care of his own!" said Donald.

There was no response to that, and the two remained distant and aloof from each other until Donald healed the next day. Walking in a decent form, Donald stepped outside the door and set out to the cottage Dallben assigned him. For whatever reason, he was not with him to say goodbye, but Donald continued on. Then he saw him crouching over by the pig pen, standing still as though he were a statue. Curious, Donald approached him to see what was concerning him.

"Where's the oracle pig ya have?" he asked. "It looks like they kidnapped her too."

"So much," muttered Dallben. "So much has happened in the past several days, it is almost surreal. I do not know if it is you that has brought this terrible curse onto us or a great evil is meddling among us. I fear. I do not know of what. I only fear."

He sure was acting strange to Donald. Ever since that scary incident with the crazy lights, Dallben did not seem right in the head. He had a bit of a temper, but now he had a bit of depression. All of these characters going missing or scattering throughout the kingdom were pretty alarming. Apparently Dallben could tell Donald was being curious, and so he slowly got up and headed back to his house.

"Go to your cottage, please," he wheezed, sounding like a mix of stern and melancholy emotion. "Nothing can be done right now. Leave. I must go and rest. Rest, I say. Only then may I get a sense of things. Then again, maybe, just maybe, I may not get a sense of things after all."

Creepy, the enchanter was not right in the head. Donald ran off to the road so he would not have to hear Dallben's muttering any longer. Having some peace and quiet would not be a bad idea right now. All he had to do was go down this road and hope for the best.

Dullness was what Donald was feeling right now. After a half-hour of waddling down the dirt path to the cottage, he saw nothing but a dirt road and trees on each side of him. It was like this the whole time ever since he left Caer Dallben. Donald took a breath and made a hardened stare, no more of this. He was going to shake things up a bit and take a diversion into the woods. So instead of traveling forward, the duck chose to go to the side and squeeze through the trees to another route of sorts.

…

The black carriage of the Horned King, snaking its way along the twisting path to the castle, continued to hold its ghastly master and the shady side princess. She had to admit that it was not so pleasant at all to sit in one spot for what seemed like ages chatting to a creepily cool king like this one. All throughout the exchange, he clicked his bony fingers together, digesting the information the princess shady side was telling him. She was a rather useful pet, unlike the loitering twit at his feet who was taking a nap.

"I tell you, you majesty, I am not this princess," pressed the shady side Eilonwy. "I thought, as I think you should know, that if I were to have the black cauldron right now, Sir Taran would be on his way to rescue me this very instant. Who knows, Dall may be eyeing the oracle to gaze at us right now."

"These names that you speak of," said the Horned King. "You call them…shady sides?"

"Oh, yes, they are a wonderful group of individuals, absolutely splendid!" she replied. "Unlike the duck and his friends that is, who mistake us to be evil and wicked, which is total rubbish if I ever heard it! That duck, Donald I think his name is, he is one feisty fellow. If you do not watch him, my lord, he can be a rather valiant fellow."

So the Horned King let all of the princess's talk wash over him until his carriage approached the drawbridge of his castle. Two new guards on the top allowed him to enter, and the men quickly stepped aside so they would not have to deal with their scary ruler. The black horses, panting hard, came to a clobbering stop and the thuggish man who steered them jumped out of his seat and opened the door for the king. Slowly but surely, he came out, with Creeper hopping out and the princess shady side coming casually.

"What a lovely palace!" she exclaimed, seeing the skeletons and gargoyles greet her.

"Sire, you sure about this girl?" said Creeper to the Horned King.

"I must have her in order to have the cauldron," he replied.

…

While they were going to the throne room, they were being watched at that moment by none other than Dall and Sir Taran. Ever since he laid eyes on his future lover next to the one he was bent on overthrowing, a hidden bitterness was shown on the warrior that everyone could see. The creatures scattered away when he heard the news, and since then he was eyeing the oracle, watching the Horned King's every move. For his part, Dall was still toying with the idea of savoring his coming powers, but knowing how a feisty boy can get, he decided to watch the Horned King with him.

"Look at him, Dall," growled Sir Taran, fists clenched. "He just reached a new low!"

"All in good time, my boy, all in good time," reassured Dall.

"Enough time has been wasted already!" said Sir Taran. "I will set off today with my creature minions and persuade that false king's men to join my side! Then, I can finally get her as my future queen. I might as well leave right now."

He turned and began ordering his creatures to accompany them on his quest, including Stick and Cricket, who were tired of laying around the rough rock that Dall's palace was composed of. Chuckling, the enchanter shady side turned from Sir Taran's billowing cape and rested his old eyes on the princess shady side he desired to marry. Being a copy of the real princess, she certainly had all of the beauty a warrior could want. But as for Dall, his powers were still growing, and he decided to go leave himself so he could get his reward.

…

"Wak! What did I do to get around here?" complained Donald at himself.

It turned out that the alternate route he had taken was far harder than the simple path he was following earlier. Branches and twigs scrapped against his feathers, the dry ground felt uncomfortable against his webbed feet, and the dense foliage made the light scarce in this frustrating forest. Worse yet, a pesky group of thorn bushes menaced the duck as he made his way through, and time and time again he had to pluck himself out of a sticky branch that caught onto him.

"Aw, phooey," he groaned. "I just want outta here,"

Several minutes passed by as Donald trudged through the tough environment, but a sight came upon him that almost made him stop. A big apple tree was growing in a clearing, its apples bright red. One bite from one of those was certain to be juicy, and Donald savored the juices that would run down his bill and fill his stomach with an apple delight.

_Crunch!_ The noise spooked Donald, and he was sure that it was from another creature. Pushing through the bulbous bushes that got in his way, he took a peek around the tree and saw Gurgi making a feast out of the red fruits. Clearly content, the hairy beast greedily ate into the apples one by one, leaving huge bite marks on each one. Juice streamed down his mouth, and his tongue licked around it to get as much as he could. Apple cores dotted the grass, and Donald soon realized that if he did not act soon, Gurgi would nearly eat half of the tree's apples.

"Hey! Quit eating all those apples!" yelled Donald.

"Gurgi hears Donald Duck somewhere," mumbled Gurgi. "It must be a dream."

"It's not a dream!" exclaimed Donald, tearing out of the bushes to stand in the clearing. "Gimme some of those apples!"

"But Gurgi likes munchies and crunchies!" persisted Gurgi. "An apple a day means Gurgi's OK!"

Crying out in frustration, Donald pounced on the tree and ransacked the apples, dropping a cart-full of the fruits to the ground. Then he kept the apples secured like any territorial duck would and began munching on one. Gurgi looked at him with a funny look.

"Heh, you've ate enough apples to make one month," pouted Donald. "Now I'm gonna eat some."

"Gurgi's disgusted by Donald's wild behavior," mumbled Gurgi. "Gurgi doesn't think Donald can eat munchies and crunchies with a bill!"

"You'd be surprised," said Donald.

So they ate at the tree for some time, until the sun began to dip and twilight was looming. The light faded from the tree tops, and a cold breeze ruffled Donald's feathers and brushed Gurgi's hair. The sky was painted a dull yellow and the clouds were scattered here and there. Sensing the night coming, Donald began to regret taking this route. Being amongst scary trees and unknown animals would put him in a dangerous position. And so with those thoughts churning up in his head, Donald slightly shivered in the waning hours of light.

…

Ever since the Horned King incident at House of Mouse, Toontown was experiencing a time of uncertainty and concern. Everyone knew Mickey, Minnie, and Donald were in some kind of mysterious kingdom to save an obscure movie, but everyone had thought they would have returned in just a few days. Mickey was a proven adventurer, and Donald was a tough friend who could take on anyone, so that was able to keep the cartoons optimistic. But Daisy still could not help but be nervous.

"I'm telling you, Clarabelle, Donald's in serious danger," she told the cow at the House of Mouse the night of Donald's stay in the forest. "I don't know what I'll do if he gets attacked or sick or anything! He can be tough, but he's not invincible. I just wish that he had someone to look after him, you know? A sidekick would have kept him out of trouble."

"Oh, you really shouldn't be worrying your head over Donald, dear," said Clarabelle. "Why, he must be fighting witches and battling warriors and riding dragons right now!"

"No, knowing Donald, he'll be complaining and getting himself into a world of hurt," mumbled Daisy.

As they chatted in the backstage of the House of Mouse, the visitors were too busy watching cartoons to worry about Donald. Strangely enough, the cartoons they were watching starred Donald Duck. Taking a break from playing in the band, Huey, Dewey, and Louie were snacking on cookies to pass the time.

"Poor Uncle Donald," said Huey.

"He's probably stranded somewheres," replied Dewey.

"Probably getting roasted by a dragon," muttered Louie.

The waiting game was taking too long on the nephews most of all. A day with no ravings from Donald or no one to play tricks on was a dismal day for them. It pained them even more that their uncle was having more excitement than them. Not even the hot, chewy cookies tasted so good now. The three little ducks were hungrier for adventure.

"That does it, guys, we gotta do somethin'!" said Huey.

"Like what?" asked Dewey. "Ya know we can't just leave here with Daisy all upset!"

"She'll be fine, we can take care of ourselves, can we?" replied Huey.

"Yeah, a little bit," mumbled Louie.

Daisy, still upset over Donald, was being comforted by Scrooge McDuck himself. The richest duck in the world was about as much of an adventurer than Daisy could ever know, and he seemed to be rather confident about Donald's prospects for success.

"Well, now, I suppose Donald must be having a tizzy somewhere, as much as I know him! Humph! The very thought of Donald getting kidnapped by witches! I suggest you don't let it bother you so, Daisy. He must have really showed those three what for!" he told her.

"Scrooge, I've been wondering," mumbled Daisy. "Now, I've heard you were a little bored around your mansion lately, maybe even enough to count your coins to pass the hours. Well... would you... find Donald for me? Oh, please say yes! I'm afraid Mickey and Minnie might not be enough to save him!"

Admittably, Scrooge had been rather bored lately. He thought about Daisy's demand and tapped his foot to spur his mind. This land, Prydain, sounded peculiar. He may have overheard frightful things about it from local characters. Dragons, warriors, and the scary king that came here the other day piqued his interest. Finally, there might be a new land to be explored, and no land could be left unexplored by Scroorge McDuck! Yes, he shall take the challenge! But first, he needed to have some companions.

"Very well, Daisy, I will search for Donald!" he exclaimed. "Why, I'll even bring the nephews with me! Just give me the directions to this kingdom and I'll be off!"

...

Was it his imagination, or were the trees taller than they were during the day? Donald eyed the forest all around him, fearfully clinging to Gurgi, who was asleep and snoring strangely. A purple sky hung over him, and large clouds of shadowy black moved silently through it. There was no wind, so only the noises of two owls could be heard, seeming to communicate with one another. Donald could have slept this way, but a persistent fear of something jumping out of the bush to attack kept him awake. He did not want something like Creeper to pounce on him, or worse. Donald was unaware that at this moment, Uncle Scrooge was coming to the rescue, with Huey, Dewey, and Louie in tow.


	16. Chapter 16 Fish and Warriors

Chapter 16 Fish and Warriors

The new day was on. Although it seemed like a miracle, Donald had actually fallen asleep at the witching hour and awoke to a sunny morning. The trees had dumped their spooky appearance with a vivid brightness of light wood. Leaves were bristling in their branches. Donald inhaled clean air into his bill and then jumped up to start the day.

"Alright, where are ya, Gurgi?" he said.

His furry head poked out from the apple tree behind him. A freshly made apple core had dropped onto the ground, and Gurgi smacked his lips before hopping down to meet Donald. Apparently he had eaten his breakfast, and thinking about it made Donald's stomach faintly growl. It was too bad that he did not desire to eat apples again.

"Gurgi got enough this morning, yes!" said Gurgi. "Does Donald want muchies?"

"Yeah, I do, but not apples!" said Donald. "Too much of one thing can make ya sick! I wanna have something good and wholesome to eat, do ya know what else there is around here?"

"Hmmm, Gurgi not so sure," he replied. "Gurgi has only known good and tasty muchins' and scrunchins' and not so much squishies and fishies. Gurgi don't know what other word to replace fishies, so don't ask Gurgi. Oh, maybe Gurgi knows about old fort here! Woo hoo! Gurgi's got an idea! Meet Gurgi at Old Fort and Gurgi wll tell Donald more!"

The silly creature scurried away into the woods, much to Doanld's disappointment. He had forgotten how rambunctious Gurgi could be, so before he could abandon him, Donald cried out so he could hear.

"Wait a just minute! Where am I supposed to find this old fort?" he snapped.

"Gurgi says follow nearest road to Old Fort. Go down and see Spring Fairy too! Gurgi must go! Gurgi's got to go chat and spat with Resistance Warriors!"

Now what was the little rascal going on about? Donald never heard of a spring fairy or resistance warriors, although if they were buddies of Gurgi's he would best watch out. Grumbling, the duck decided to heed Gurgi's advice and find this new trail. Now Donald once again wished he had stuck with going to the cottage.

…

"Oh, master will be so ready this time!" said Creepy, who had returned to Prydain. "That lousy Horned King needs strangling himself!"

The shady side of Creeper had sulked back to familiar territory, and now he wanted to do something worthwhile. So he could not capture Creeper, but perhaps he could get Donald Duck? He snickered when he thought of that one. My, how wonderful would it be if he approached Master Dall, who had fully received his powers, and presented to him with the defeated duck? Then, the pathway to domination would be cleared, Sir Taran would claim the throne, and he would become his trusted henchman! The very thought of it made him cackle and dance for joy!

"He he he he! That will be the day!" he giggled. "That will be the day I will be fulfilled, and that lousy Creeper will be emptied!"

At the moment, Creepy had taken shelter in a small cave at the foot of a wooded hill. As a rest stop, it was here where he would decide where to head next. Lying down on the soft earth, Creepy thought about an interesting location only a couple miles from the cave.

"Well, what about the Resistance Fort?" he asked himself.

A picture unraveled in his little mind, showing him a stone fortress guarded by brave warriors. It was somewhere a tad unfamiliar, but Creepy had little doubt that it would serve a place of great importance.

"The last thing master wants is resistance!" he growled. "I'll have to go there and stir a little mischief! Of course, should they be friends, I might persuade them. That does it, I'm off!"

…

While in his mad dash to this "Old Fort" he wanted to go to, Gurgi had at least thought a little about Donald and whacked a few bushes to make his journey easier. Looking around the forest and trudging onward, Donald could see a path just barely in the distance. However, something was in his way. Craning his neck over a tall fern, he then saw that it was someone. Someone stood between Donald and the path, and that someone was standing on a bridge suspended over a running creek. He thought he heard water from somewhere.

"Aw, that's not gonna be good," mumbled Donald.

This someone, a burly man with a savage bow and eyes that seemed to pierce like a lion's, guarded his post. He was not happy to see Donald walk uneasily to him. He had been pulling his bow string and releasing it to make a twang sound, and he had been doing it so much that the string had been toughened for deadly effect.

"What brings ya here to me drawbridge?" he growled, his voice dripping with brute slyness.

"Uh, I wanna go to that path over there," stammered Donald.

"Hmmm, folks say that all the time," said the guard. "Ya know, ya look a little familiar. It's not normal to see a walking, talking duck. That's why I'm gonna be somewhat respectful to ya, duck. Or, if ya want, I can switch back to my former self. But anyways, here's the deal, me feathered friend. Should ya have any money, I'll yet ya through. But, if yer broke, then ya stay right over here on this side o' the creek. Ya look feisty, or ya used too, or ya would, so I'll say this. Try to test me, and this bow o' mine will fire something fierce. Understand, duck?"

"A-a-a- absolutely!" responded Donald.

Only a tiny fraction of space on the man's sides separated Donald from the other side. The water was going too fast for him to wade through, and this man would shoot him dead in a flash. The arrows stashed on his back poked out, concealing their points inside. Donald, rummaging through his coat pockets, found nothing. He knew this was going to be the case, because he never carried Prydain currency in all the days he was here.

"Oh, uh, well, what do ya know? I'm completely empty!" said Donald. "Oh… please don't shoot me!"

"Relax, duck, relax!" grumbled the guard. "I'd only do that if ya bypassed me! Which you won't, but you might. Now, let me think here… of course, why didn't I think o' that the first time! Listen, duck, get off the dirty ground a bit and listen for a sec'. Now, how about a game? Ah, look at how yer eyes shine at the mention o' that. Wait til' I tell ya the rules. They are as follows… _dodge_!"

_Twang! Zip! Splash! _It happened so fast that before Donald knew it, he was at the guard's post, and the guard was taken down the stream screaming. As soon as Donald saw the guard whip out an arrow and fire like a professional, he side-stepped the fire and bolted at the same time, knocking into the man and causing him to fall. He stuck his tongue out at the enemy, and then something completely unexpected happened. The man had roused the attention of a monster, a minion of the shady sides, and when it was roused, it sprang from its stream bed and swallowed the man whole!

Donald cried out with fright, for it was the same kind of monster that he encountered much earlier with the Disney 80's League, the one with the transparent belly and angry dragonflies. The bow man was inside the acidic stomach, and he disintegrated into green bile, his skull and pale eyes serving as a disturbing decoration for the minion. The furry head with two eyes belched out brown and green gas from its mouth, what was left of the unfortunate brute. Donald's jaw was on the bridge.

"I gotta get outta here now!" he exclaimed. "I don't want _that _happenin' to me!"

He jumped on the other side of the stream and darted away from the creepy creature, just as it eyed the bow the man dropped on the streambed with keen interest. It grabbed the bow with its trunk-like limb, and it made a buzzing noise that sounded very much like laughing.

…

Donald hoped that he would not see that creature again, but he was clearly disappointed to see that other minions had made their way into the woods. Black and white creatures both bizarre and impressive lingered in the grass like bugs. A few were cartoony, with bugged out eyes and silly pinchers, and a few were strangely detailed with exaggerated features. These were not typical forest creatures, but displaced beings from another world. Donald sure wished the squirrels and birds would come back.

"Wow," gasped Donald. "There musta been an invasion!"

One thing was certain; these minions would attack him if they laid their eyes on him. So in order to avoid detection, Donald crept through the grass, watching the creatures as he went. Three crab-like ones stood near a rock bed, snapping their pinchers and tussling with one another in play. They made clicking noises that made a few feathers of Donald's stand on end, and the creature's big eyes were stalks. They were twice the size of a normal crab.

_Gah, come on Donald, you can get through em'! A bunch of scary crab things won't bother me! _He kept urging himself with these thoughts until he finally got a small hill that sloped to a gathering of fir trees. Here, flying animals that were shaped like hands with bug eyes and bat wings hung from their branches. Their excellent vision spotted Donald easily, and they began to make a bizarre noise with their frilled mouths that sounded like a squealing rat.

"That sounds even worse than a bat," whispered Donald. "Hey! Get you're eyes of me!"

The little monsters fled the scene, squealing harshly at Donald's yell. They flew up into the air, appearing like hands with wings, but then they darted back down and stood in Donald's way. One of them walked up to him and tried to peck him with its mouth, but he knew what was coming. He jumped up in the air and landed on the beast, taking the air out of it. He then swiped a stick from a tree, pulled it, and let it go to make the others fly off into the air for good. Their squealing was truly harsh after that.

"Serves those jerks right," he mumbled.

Onward he went, expecting the next bunch of weird animals to appear. This time it was the cartoony bunch, and they were gathered at the spot where a deer would usually graze. Lanky and spindly, one seemed to be more like a large head with crazed eyes and a big mouth with strong teeth. The other seemed to be like an ostrich, and it had sinister eyes that gave it a more menacing appearance. They were both eating on the grass as Donald waddled into the area.

"Outta the way!" snapped Donald. "I've gotta get to the Old Fort!"

The creatures refused, for the big mouth one strood up to Donald on its skinny legs and made a call in front of him that sounded like a very aggressive goat with a deep voice. Its mouth was within biting distance of him, so Donald also gave the monster the feet treatment. It was left on the ground with stars dancing around its head.

The ostrich monster stood up and bolted around the brave duck, its eyes piercing into him. Since Donald's eyes were no less sharp, his tough stare made the creature back off and it instead bolted away into the woods. Donald turned around, shrugged his shoulders, and continued on the trail.

…

He could feel it in the air. Adventure was calling for him today. His aged eyes that still had a light of youth in them surveyed the kingdom below him. There were lots of tress, a few hills, and a valley in the distance. Riding in the helicopter piloted by his friend, he kept his hat on so it would not get blown away. The boys stayed stayed in the other seats to wait for the landing, which would be whenever an open field would appear.

"Right over there!" called Launchpad. "That's where we're heading!"

Scrooge looked ahead and, sure enough, found a clearing in the forested land. Launchpad had his helicopter lower slightly down to ensure a safe landing, but something was amiss. From out of the trees came something like armored figures.

"Launchpad, look!" said Scrooge. "People are coming out of the forest!"

These armored figures seemed to grow in number, and at an alarming rate. What was a group soon became a mob, and then it was a small legion that appeared. Since they were so far up, Scrooge and Launchpad could barely tell if they were welcoming or rejecting them. They watched the flying object curiously, but then something sharp and pointy shined in the ranks. Then a dozen others raised their sharp, pointy objects and a line of figures behind them bent their backs backward as though they were holding something back. Scrooge picked up on the sign and almost lost his hat in his spring of fear.

"Turn! Turn back!" he cried. "They're going to shoot!"

"Whoa!" exclaimed Launchpad, veering the yellow helicopter sharply to the side.

An arrow thudded on the helicopter's body as the others zipped by. The sudden move lurched the ducks around and made the helicopter skim the very tops of the trees. _Thud! _Another arrow thudded, and then the armored figures retreated back into the woods. What happened next took the air from Scoorge's lungs.

A cavalry of horses mounted by warriors galloped out, and every one was armed with a bow. Their speed was frightening, and a white horse with a magnificent mane looked like the leader. They were in pursuit of Launchpad's helicopter with a vengeance.

"Hang on tight everybody!" called Launchpad. "This is gonna be hairy!"

"Uncle Scrooge, what are they tryin' to do?" said Huey.

"They think we're enemies, no doubt!" exclaimed Scrooge. "Oh, my! Hurry, Launchpad, will you? That arrow almost got my hat!"

Their helicopter speeded up and left the cavalry behind. They had reached air that was too high to fire arrows. Scrooge sighed with relief, now wondering about something else.

"If this is what Donald is up against, we are all in trouble," said Scrooge.

…

What a trek, Donald got through the woods with more battles under his belt, if he had one. Now he could boast about defeating creatures that would give Huey, Dewey, and Louie the willies. It was annoying, but Donald had to admit that it was better than walking down that uneventful road to a cottage he would have lain around in. Right at this moment he was following a calm stream, knowing that it was more likely to find a settlement if there was water nearby. Donald looked at the little fish swimming around in the water, and even the stray salamander taking a break on a jutting rock.

"Ah, finally, no more creepy monsters!" said Donald.

Relishing the peace of the moment, Donald enjoyed looking at the stream, but also the sunrays shining down through the leaves. There was a splash, and Donald turned from the trees to the stream again to see a green fish. It made a splash again, and it swam away downstream. Donald kept watching it, but then the fish made another splash and waved its fin. It looked like the fish was urging him to follow.

"Huh," blurted Donald. "What's this all about?"

So he followed this fish, keeping fair distance between him and the fish so he would not lose it. It looked eager to show him something, but Donald had no idea what it would be. It continued to splash, and the water went in all directions as though it was reaching out to the shore. After a while, something about the stream changed. Rocks began to be more familiar in the bottom, and the fish came to a stop. Donald watched as the fish swam to a purple rock and slapped its tailfin on it three times. It shook and surfaced to the water, acting like a stepping stone.

"Ah, now I get it!" said Donald.

He hopped out on the stone just as the second one appeared, and Donald hopped on that one to make the next come up. One after the other, he hopped across the stream and found himself on the other side. Satisfied, Donald was about to turn and tip his hat to the fish when it dove into the mud, causing something drastic to happen. The plants that were planted along the stream stood up straight and the earth trembled. The very ground below Donald's feet quaked like the roots of the trees were letting loose, and they were. He witnessed the trees in front of him go to the side, revealing a single sunray streaming down a beautiful area with a single spring.

"Wow," said Donald.

He approached the spring and took a look at himself in the water. He saw his reflection stare back at him, but then two golden shapes formed deep within the spring. Donald jumped back with surprise as two golden fish swam on the surface, making elegant movements and moving the surface of the spring to make watery music. The pleasant sounds beckoned the being, who presided here to appear, and Donald saw a large fairy the size of a human with a pink dress, blond hair, and beautiful wings descend toward him from the treetops.

"Oh, the pleasant sounds of water call for me," she said. "Oh, you must be someone from afar."

"A fairy?" he said. "You must be the Spring Fairy Gurgi talked about."

"Why, yes, that hairy friend did spoke of me," she said. "Hmmm, I did not tell you my name did I? Well, I am the Spring Fairy as you know. Oh, if I told you what my real name was, you would twist your tongue! Yes, you almost certainly would. Now, as you noticed, my green fish has brought you here. You see, he is a dear friend of mine, and he too knows about Gurgi. So, in that case, you would be searching for the old fort."

"Yeah, that's the place!" replied Donald. "Is that where those Resistance Warriors live?"

"Ah, you do know," said the Spring Fairy. "Hmm, they are a force to be reckoned with, and they might not take kindly to strangers. However, if you are against the… Horned King…_eek…_you would be warmly welcomed as a comrade."

The fish in the water trembled when she spoke of the evil emperor, and Donald took notice.

"So ya don't like that guy too?" he said. "We're on the same boat then!"

"Oh, I can say we are too!" said the Spring Fairy. "Humph, I don't like speaking of him either, but let's go to another subject, shall we? You see, there is that dirt path Gurgi had you go down. But, before you go back, I must show you something."

The Spring Fairy got down on her knees and peered over into the spring, watching the two golden fish swim around. Donald crouched down with her, watching her actions. She dipped a finger into the pool, and a purple mist went into the water. The fish drifted around in it and the water made an image like a crystal ball would. What Donald saw took him backward; for he saw Scrooge McDuck, Huey, Dewey, and Louie exploring the woods as Launchpad's helicopter flew away.

"Gah… gah… that's, that's," stammered Donald.

"Yes, that is Scrooge and your three boys," said the Spring Fairy. "Now, before you tell me how I know them, I had received a message from afar that an old hero was coming to help you on your quest. Hmmm, my mind does wander when I am asleep. My, it does seem like you and they may meet up sometime soon."

Donald, still in a state of surprise, rose from his back and prepared to leave. The fairy's pausing before saying a sentence was getting a little on his nerves, but having even more friends in Prydain made his nerves get irritated even more. He would have to get to the Old Fort so he could reach them.

"Alright, I'm goin'!" he said. "Thanks for tellin' me sooner than later!"

"Yes, no problem," she said, fluttering her wings to get back on top of a tree.

"By the way, what's with the words before you speak, don't ya know what to say?" said Donald.

"Oh, my speech?" said the Spring Fairy. "Um, that is just how I am."

Donald decided to leave it at that and continue on his journey to the Old Fort. The dirt path was accessible again by the purple stones, and once Donald made it across, they disappeared underneath the surface. Now he was on a straight path to the destination.

…

The Fort, which was not exactly old since the warriors renovated it, was busier than usual. The camp around the fort, which housed many soldiers, was bustling with activity, for word spread of the hated Horned King dealing with a princess. Fellow troops reported it from the musings from the Horned King's men before they ambushed their hideout, and it intrigued the commander.

"Sir, this princess is a rather peculiar one if she were to dare associate with that horrible demon!" said the servant shrilly, pouring some wine in the cup of his master.

"There is more to this story than simple gossip," said the commander, taking a sip of the cup.

The commander, a fine man with strength and agility both, stood up from his chair and went out of his tent to see his comrade coming back from his search. He departed from his white horse and approached him with concern.

"Lloyd, I'm sorry to say that the being got away," he said. "It could have been only something allied with the Horned King!"

"Do not despair, my friend," said Lloyd. "I can feel something in the air that we may enjoy."

"And what might that be?" said his friend. "The past few days have been nothing but a nuisance on the whole army! Monsters ravaging the land, a town buzzing with excitement over a performance they've had with foreigners, it's all very bizarre!"

The commander with the big, finely shaped nose and blondish hair came and patted him on the shoulder, smiling.

"Take heart and stay strong," he told him. "That was just what you think, but it might've been something else."


	17. Chapter 17 Resistance Fort

Chapter 17 Resistance Fort

Coming upon him, Donald saw first the stone fortress towering above the trees. It was a good sight, but then he heard lots of feet thumping the ground. Waddling closer, he noticed that there was much more than just the fort. A whole collection of tents dotted the land around it, and soldiers, each one armed with a sword, walked everywhere. Donald took a long gulp. Only a dummy would walk out into the field of tents acting like someone innocent. They would probably tear him to shreds before he could open his bill.

"I'll just stay out here for now," he muttered under his breath, seeking temporary refuge in the bushes.

…

Lloyd entered his fortress and saluted the guards at the entrance, who saluted back. Then he strode to his chambers to prepare for a future strategy to the Horned King's castle, the mission being nothing more but the rescue of this unfortunate princess. If he could somehow engage the evil king in combat, then that would be a delightful bonus. The stately hallway lined with bodies of armor from warriors of the past was on each side of the commander, and he opened the doors to his room at the end of them.

His room, a modest place with only a large bed and large table with plenty of parchment, was seemingly empty. However, unbeknownst to Lloyd, a goblin shady side lingered underneath his bed sheets. He had been waiting for the warrior for almost two hours, and he mostly spent it with sleep. The opening of the doors jolted Creepy awake and he stood as still as a little statue.

"Hmmm, I wish that my advisors were here now," mumbled Lloyd.

He studied the map of Prydain with intense eyes, charting out paths for his troops to march. Creepy's limbs were getting stiff, and since a shady side's limbs were less stable than a full character's fleshy limbs, his movement was more noticeable. A twitch of the bed sheet was detected from the corner of Lloyd's eye. He dropped the map, strode to the bed, and flipped the bed sheet wide open to see Creepy stare at him bewildered. He immediately set off a frenzied rant of fear to prevent him from striking the intruder.

"Sir, oh, sir, don't slice me in two! I came here, yes, here to see you! Why was I hiding in your place, you ask? Well, that's quite a story! I snuck into this fort so your two brash guards wouldn't get to me because I had the direst news to tell you! Dire! Get your hand off that sword hilt and listen to me, please!" begged Creepy.

Lloyd, who did had his hand on his sword hilt, eyed the creature warily as he eased and tracked Creepy as he hopped over to the table where the map lied. He snatched the map and pointed a claw at the Horned King's castle, smiling a silly smile at the commander as he said his bit.

"Despite my appearances, commander, I'm against the Horned King with all my little heart! That's no lie, you know! The big bully strangled me silly at a club far away from here and I was left dragging my feet all the way to this beautiful kingdom. Ah, come on, brave commander; don't look at me like that! I know you're suspicious of me, but don't be! You can count on Creepy! I'm really not _that _creepy! If you just help me, even slightly, I'll aid you at every turn to defeat the Horned King once and for all!" he said.

"Suppose I do help you," said Lloyd. "Will you promise to not turn against me or my comrades?"

"Promise!" said Creepy. "There, I've said it, so now I'll help you!"

"What do you wish I do?" said Lloyd, crouching down to the map Creepy held. "I will do all I can."

…

"I see something white over there!" called a lank guard who looked dim.

"What is it?" snapped the other guard with a beard. "All I see is green, lots of green!"

"There, I saw it!" cried the distressed lanky guard. "It's getting closer!"

"Ah, be quiet, will you?" spat the other. "You're just seeing things!"

Donald, weaving in and out of the bushes like a nosy duck, fooled the guards by sneaking into the campgrounds and dove into a nearby tent, taking a big risk. Luck was on his side, for no guard was inside. Relieved, he checked for any supplies. All he saw was some baggy clothes and a spear. Donald took both. Lumbering out of the tent, a stray guard looked puzzled at the misshaped figure coming out into the field. Donald tried all he could to look tough and mean, but it was difficult when the baggy clothes tugged on his feathers. It did not help that he was strikingly shorter than the big, fit men around him.

"Hello, lad, why are you lumbering like a sleepy dog?" asked a soldier.

"Uh, it's the clothes, sir, they've gotten smaller the past few days, ya know?" said Donald.

"And why is your voice all funny?" he asked. "You must've had an awful cold!"

"A cold?" said Donald. "Yeah, that's right, a cold! But not just some little one, a big one! Now let me go get to the fort!"

The young man that was only a few years older than Taran watched the duck as he tried to amble away, and he sensed something strange. It felt like this fellow was not really one of his own, but he could not have been someone on the Horned King's side. If anything, he was somewhat silly.

"I want to have a look at you," he said, approaching Donald.

"Sure, go ahead, but you'll get a big cold too!" spat Donald.

Donald had a good look at him this time, and saw an older boy with brown hair, blue eyes, and a look of courage on his face. He did not look like a normal grunt, but he might be a leading officer around here. Just as Donald thought about this, the boy took one look at his bill and backed off, alarmed.

"You're a… duck!" he gasped.

"Yeah, and?" replied Donald.

"I've never seen a walking, talking duck!" said the boy.

"Well, you have!" said Donald. "Now who're you?"

"I'm Alexander, second in command of the Resistance Army," he said.

Donald felt a little awkward, because he had treated an important officer with not much respect.

"I'm sorry, sir," he said. "I didn't know what you were."

"That's perfectly fine," said Alexander. "I didn't know what you were either."

"Now, here's the deal," said Donald, getting close to Alexander so you could hear well. "I've gotta get to the fort because a buddy of mine named Gurgi told me too. I don't know what he wants me to do, but it's probably something important, so I've gotta get in anyway. You can come with me so I can get inside, and then maybe I can get to your leader and talk a little with him."

It was agreed to, and the two of them walked to the fort. Donald took a look at Alexander's back, where he wore a cape, and at the warriors around him who were chatting and cooking meals at their campfires. This bunch was probably what Taran wanted to be like, especially Alexander. Since he wanted to be a warrior, he would really fit in right here. Thinking about the assistant pig keeper made Donald wonder where he was now.

"Hey, do you know of Caer Dallben?" asked Donald.

"I might have, yes," replied Alexander. "I may have gone past there on one of my campaigns, most likely to get some of Dallben's delicious bread. Ah, that was wonderful! I particularly remember a young boy who watched us with the most eager eyes! He was no bigger than a small heron at that time. I was a younger boy then, but there was something about that other that made me smile. I could just tell he wanted to be a part of us!"

"That's Taran!" blurted Donald. "So ya did know him?"

"That's his name?" said Alexander. "No, I'm afraid it was rather short-lived, because we soon got word of the Horned King's grunts ransacking a village and we set off. The boy was disappointed, but he was in awe when we rode away on our horses, just like a child."

Donald thought about what Alexander said and gazed around the tents, feeling sorry for Taran. All he wanted to be was a warrior like these men, but Dallben, that cranky enchanter, wanted him to be a pig farmer for life. Thinking about the old man made Donald mad, and he knew he was quickly starting to dislike him. He may have been wise, but Dallben was too protective.

"If I can finish this adventure in one piece, I'll tell Taran all about this place!" said Donald.

…

Huey, Dewey, and Louie were exploring the forest like a playground, finding nuts, leaves, and other things lying around just waiting to be picked up. Scrooge groaned and continued on the trail; the same one Donald took earlier. He could recall hearing an odd noise from behind him, but once he turned around, he saw nothing. It had been going on for the past hour, and it made Scrooge antsy. He knew it was not the three boys, but some different beast wandering these very woods.

"Boys, don't run so fast! You're uncle's still versatile, but I'm not that fast!" said Scrooge.

It was about noon, and the way the forest around him swayed to the gentle wind lifted up a sense of calm. Perhaps it was the way those leaves moved, or the soft dirt that caked underneath Scrooge's feet. If it were not for the boys, he was sure that he would be taking everything contently. But there was no choice, because the nephews were restless at House of Mouse and now released their boredom with a scavenger hunt.

"Look what I found, Uncle Scrooge!" piped up Dewey. "It's a cool lookin' worm!"

"Gah, that's quite a worm you have there!" exclaimed Scrooge with disgust, seeing the specimen.

It resembled a worm, yet it dangled from Dewey's finger with a squirming motion that seemed to be an unusual show of irritation. Scrooge assumed that was only logical, but on closer inspection, it appeared to be different. Black and white, the thing had bizarre markings of lines and zig-zags that may symbol poison.

"Unhand that thing at once!" ordered Scrooge in fright.

Dewey dropped it and it landed on the ground. From there, it sulked to a tree and burrowed inside it with alarming speed. The tree shook a little after the worm got in. When that stopped, there was an uneasy pause between Scrooge and Dewey. Then, the tree cracked open and a disgusting batch of worms crawled out, moving toward the one who annoyed their sibling. Crying out, Dewey took off for Huey and Louie, leaving Scrooge to gape at the slimy mass.

"These are not normal worms!" exclaimed Scrooge.

He backed off from them and went to gather the nephews. Dewey had found Huey and Louie from the other stump, not very happy to see that they were playing with those same kinds of worms.

"Guys, let go of those things!" cried Dewey.

They did, but that did not stop the worms from being agitated. _Goosh!_ The mass of worms had made a gross noise behind him, and their circled mouths clamored for character flesh. Although the nephews were unaware, they had messed with shady side minions, and special ones at that.

Luckily, Scrooge came up and gave the mass a good whack of his cane. Worms flew back by the blow and the others hissed. Their mouths were now glowing, and one particularly nasty worm latched onto Scrooge's foot and began sucking like a leech.

"Get of me you!" yelled Scrooge.

Something in him seemed to feel weak, but he whacked the worm off and felt it no more. He caught up to the nephews and they all escaped from the encroaching worms.

"I don't know about you, Uncle Scrooge, but I wasn't expecting something like that here!" said Huey.

"Neither did I!" replied Scrooge. "Ah, those horrible things have relented. I tell you, though, I felt strange when one of those worms sucked on my foot. I haven't seen a single dragon yet, although those warriors will appear soon enough if those armored figures that chased us earlier were any indication. What has Donald gotten him into?"

…

Donald was doing fine so far, thanks to the efforts of Alexander. They saluted the guards as they entered the Resistance Fort, and a grand chamber of banners and shields awaited them. Scanning the room for any sign of a very important officer, Donald wanted to go and search every nook and cranny. However, he knew that it would be silly to stick his bill around the place when guards were at present. So with that in mind, he respectfully waddled to the first hallway he spotted, the one that went straight ahead.

"If you're looking for Commander Lloyd, you'll have to follow me," said Alexander. "We are all very serious about security, as you should know."

"Well, I'd figure that," whispered Donald. "There's a bunch of em' all over this fort!"

"No need to whisper, Donald," said Alexander. "My guards will trust you in my presence!

He went ahead and guided Donald to Lloyd's quarters. Donald, still not liking how stoic the guards seemed to be at their posts, stared ahead and tried not to look strange so as not to look suspicious. All it would have taken for a guard to notice something strange is a turn of the head at Donald's webbed feet. Compared to the soldiers' boots, it would stand out of the crowd. The baggy clothes that he still wore gave him a lopsided posture unlike the soldiers' straight ones and his bill was sticking out as plain as day. Donald assumed that the reason why that must have gone unnoticed was because the soldiers thought he was carrying something in his mouth. Why they would think something like that did not concern Donald and certainly not right now.

"So, Alexander," muttered Donald, trying to strike up a conversation. "How old is this fort?"

"Well, I wouldn't really call it old, since we renovated it not too long ago," said Alexander. "But this is what we call the Resistance Fort, a fortress built long ago when The Horned King came to power and the forces of the past king were driven out into hiding. Those defeated warriors made a vow that we would resist every day of the Horned King's rule, and that holds true today. Since that time, we have declared war on the tyrant and have been fighting for more than twenty five years. Now, I do admit that the fighting has been skirmishes at best, but we will not budge to the old skeleton of a villain! Whenever he decides to let go of his futile desires for the black cauldron and fight us, we'll be there!"

"Wow, you guys sure are tough then!" said Donald.

"Yes we are, but there is one small problem," said Alexander. "Lloyd is an honorable commander, he really is, but we're afraid that he would not be strong enough to rule as king should we defeat the Horned King and free Prydain. He's been getting greyer after all. So, we're waiting for the day when a great warrior whose valor surpasses us all will arrive and lead us to victory! That warrior would be the king we all need! But, no such man has come in all these years, and who's to say he'll come in the years to come?"

"Don't worry about all that, Alexander," said Donald. "I think that kinda warrior will show up someday too!"

Suddenly, a loud thump was heard from above their heads. They both looked up at the stone ceiling and heard something scrambling in the room above. Alexander, knowing something wrong was going on, gritted his teeth and charged down the hall. Donald jumped in the air and followed him so he would not get lost behind.

"Wait for me!" called Donald.

"No time, we're under attack!" exclaimed Alexander.

The young warrior dashed a flight of stone steps and ascended them to a second hallway. He went down it and arrived at a wooden door that was slamming from the other side. He kicked the unlocked door open and was instantly pounced on by a flying minion. Donald scrambled up to the second hallway to see a flying hand minion hold Alexander tightly, not letting go. Grunting with effort, Alexander pried the creature off of him, threw it to the wall, and pulled out his sword. The minion struggled from the throw like an injured bird, screeching harshly. It was silenced for good when Alexander's sword was brought down on it.

"What kind of beings are these?" yelled Alexander, turning to the room to find more of the same monsters.

"Shady Side Minions!" said Donald. "Look out, I'm comin' in!"

Donald jumped right into the bed chamber and faced a duo of hand monsters. Their insect-like eyes honed in on Donald and their mouths twitched severely. Donald took the first strike, using his feet to knock the wind out of the first one and sending it flying out the window whence it came. The other one landed on the floor and crawled to Donald to attack from below, but Alexander was in it with a swipe of the sword, cleaving it in two.

"Yuck, ya don't have to get minion guts on me!" complained Donald, wiping yellow slime off his legs.

"Sorry about that," apologized Alexander.

Donald ran to the window and peeked out, seeing the crumpled hand monster he had kicked lying on the grass next to two crab minions. Snapping their pinchers with anger, they scurried off, likely to alert their fellow minions. Alexander left the chamber to rouse his guards, and Donald decided to take matters into his own hands and find Lloyd himself.

"I'm comin' to find ya, Commander Lloyd!" called Donald, stomping down the hallway.

…

Creepy's plan was working marvelously. The shady side minions that he met on the way here were operating it at this time. Lloyd, still studying the Prydain map, mumbled and shook his head as the ostirich-like minion ran down the hall outside his chamber.

"These beings that you bring here concern me," he said. "Are you sure that they will not harm my comrades?"

"How can they harm them if I already told them I was here?" said Creepy. "I didn't just hide in your bedsheets, commander! I met these two guards at the front of the camp and told them I was an ally. Those two were dim-witted but they believed me anyway. I told them that if they let me into your fort; I would let them recruit a few creatures that would aid them in overthrowing the Horned King!"

A loud screeching noise erupted outside, and Lloyd went to see what it was. It was one of those hand monsters flying down the hall like a crazed bat; it got the uneasy attention of the guards nearby. One of them got a hand on his crossbow, but Lloyd raised his hand up to make him stop from going further.

"Hold, soldier," he told him. "I know they are unusual, but they may prove useful."

Creepy crept out and fixed a detestable glare at the cautious guard.

"Don't you dare think about harming my beautiful friends!" snapped Creepy. "No one pokes an arrow or stabs a sword on the loyal friends while I'm here! My good buddy Lloyd here is on my side now, and he'll stay there until we go take out the Horned King!"

Disturbed by the domineering tone in Creepy's voice, the guard left his post and went to address his commander. Creepy looked up scornfully at him from behind Lloyd's leg like a disgruntled child.

"Commander," muttered the guard. "Why have you allied with that goblin? You know his kind takes sides with the Horned King, not against him!"

"He is no ally of the Horned King," said Lloyd. "If you think I am letting Creepy influence me, you would be joking. I have him on a mental leash as far as I am concerned."

"Creepy?" blurted the guard. "Commander, such a name is the epitome of mischief!"

"If my name was Lloyd Floyd Boyd, would you think me a fool?" said Lloyd.

"No, sir," said the guard, holding a chuckle.

There was a shout at the end of the hall, and a screech rang out. Creepy, growling with contempt sped off to the source of the tussle. Lloyd shook his head and the guard looked him reassuringly.

"Well, sir, it does sound like some of our men aren't used to those things after all," said the guard.

But it was not just an ordinary soldier. Creepy was soon running right back with Alexander on his heels. Forgetting about Lloyd, he ran into the commander's room so Alexander would meet him instead. Lloyd was taken aback by the urgency of his face, but even more so by the message he had to bring.

"Lloyd, those monsters have invaded the fort with full force!" said Alexander. "There's a duck named Donald that is battling them as I speak!"

"A duck named Donald?" said Lloyd with a touch of amusement. "Well, he must be a perfectly dreadful duck to fight those creatures!"

"It's all real!" said Alexander.

Creepy, who had been hiding underneath the bed sheets, almost jumped to the ceiling at the mention of Donald Duck. He was the one, the one white feathered fiend that had started all this trouble for the shady sides. He snarled wickedly, and he tossed the bed sheets off and stomped to Alexander. The boy looked him irritatead as Creepy clenched his fists and tugged and widened his eyes in a highly foul mood.

"How dare you?" exclaimed Creepy. "Commander, don't believe a word this one tells you!"

"Sorry, Creepy," said Lloyd. "He is my second in command. I trust him."

Something in Creepy snapped, and a red gleam flashed from his big eye for a split second. His claws scratched the stone floor wildly as he snapped his mouth like a chattering mouse. A sense grew on him, and it was a sense of influence. An invisible force had found its way into the Resistance Fort, and it had come back from the magic shell.

"Oh, no, I'm being watched," whimpered Creepy. "It's Master Dall!"

"Master who?" asked Alexander, narrowing his stare on Creepy.

"No, no, not Master Dall!" screeched Creepy. "It's Sir... _Ugh! _No, what are you doing? Make me do what? Run that by me again. You want me to… eeheehee! That's mighty clever of you! Sure, I'll do it, and just for you!"

Without warning, he snatched Lloyd's cape and drew him back into the chamber with lighting speed. He slammed the door in Alexander's face and locked it tight. The sudden move by Creepy had shocked Lloyd to the point where he was staring up at the goblin shady side with hurt over his betryal. What Creepy did was no influence, but a demonstration.

"Liked my little display, _commander?_" chortled Creepy. "This is no betrayal! I was never for the likes of you! This fort belongs to me, Creepy, and all the shady sides now!"

…

The camp was a total free-for-all. Warriors were hacking and slashing at the shady side minions invading their tents. A powerful gust of wind sent hand minions flying past two soldiers fighting it out with crab ones, and an ostrich beast was running around with a group's meal in its beak. It was a very frightening and bizarre scene for Scrooge McDuck and the nephews to see.

"This is not right," said Scrooge. "Donald must be in that fort, but how are we to get past all of that?"

"Maybe we oughta fight our way through!" said Huey.

"Are you mad, Huey?" said Scrooge. "Do I look like I have a sword at my side? No, I only have a cane, and it won't do a thing against those soldiers' swords or those horrible beasts' claws! I suggest we find ourselves a weapon or two to fend for ourselves!"

So, disguised as beggars, they sulked past the fight scenes and dove into the nearest tent to find nothing. Scowling, Scrooge then looked to find that there was something in the tent after all, but not what he wanted. The ostrich beast with the meal was eating the vegetables and turned its piercing eyes on him. It gave off a sharp squawk and raised its leg to strike. Scrooge was not one to be taken lightly though. He hit the leg with his cane, sending the monster squalling outside and running into a charging team of desperate warriors.

"This old cane of mine may be of some use after all!" said Scrooge, eyeing it with fondness.

"If you can fight off enemies with your cane, Uncle Scrooge, we can use somethin' to knock em' out!" said Louie. "Come on gang!"

The nephews sped to the surrounding tents to look for anything useful, leaving Scrooge to fend for himself.

"Some help you all are!" snapped Scrooge. "Hello, you wretched fogey, have a bit of my cane, eh?"

_Whack! _A toothy minion was knocked senseless by the blow. Standing over it, Scrooge looked ahead to the fort, yearning to go see Donald. There was not much time to stare, though. A flock of hand monsters flew from out of a nearby tent and spotted the old duck. Jittery with action, they joined forces with each other to make a single rolling ball of fur. The odd shape landed on the ground and came right at Scrooge.

"Come… come… Aha!" exclaimed Scrooge.

He swung the cane at the ball of monsters, sending it back through a whole line of tents to wreck massive destruction. Dust was raised and cries of both men and monsters burst out. Scrooge only nodded and beamed widely at the little fun he was causing. Then, before he knew it, he was riding on top of a wagon being pulled by Huey, Dewey, and Louie, realizing very quickly that he had been scooped up. There was nowhere to go but the Resistance Fort.

"Hang on tight for a wild ride, Uncle Scrooge!" yelled Dewey.

Looking around with shock and fright, Scrooge cringed as he barreled past warriors fleeing from him and monsters being sent in all directions by his wild wagon. The nephews certainly knew how to steer, for they were coming upon the very entrance of the fort. However, they did not know that the two guards that guarded the camp entrance spotted them as they were battling monsters.

"Look at em' going around!" said the bearded guard.

"Must be some of those monsters," said the lanky guard. "Not every day you see human-like ducks, eh?"

"Not at all, comrade, not at all!" said the bearded guard. "Let's shoot em'!"

Pulling a bow, he fitted an arrow and pulled back, aiming for the wagon wheel. It was by chance that Louie turned in the direction of the two and saw them in the act. Despite the two others pulling right, Louie pulled left. It was because of Scrooge's weight on the left side of the wagon that it forced it to go left and avoid an arrow attack.

"Whoa!" cried Huey. "Where'd that come from?"

"Those two guys over there!" said Louie, pointing at the two guards still looking at them.

"Those two jerks!" said Dewey. "They're the same ones that annoyed us back at the camp entrance! Let's show em' not to mess with Huey, Dewey, and Louie!"

"What?" barked Scrooge. "But the Resistance Fort, we need to get in there!"

That took a back seat for the moment, for the nephews had decided to get the two bullies once and for all. For their part, the two guards were startled that they were now coming after them. The bearded one fitted another arrow on quick as the other ran away.

"Don't leave me out to dry!" complained the bearded guard. "Where's the valor in… gah!"

As the wagon sped past, Dewey slapped his bow and forced him to fire upwards. The arrow went off into the air and landed somewhere harmlessly by. He turned around and saw the wagon come back. Grinning wolfishly, he plucked out another arrow to fire.

"Ah har, some duck stew sounds tasty right now!" said the bearded guard.

Staring at his opponent like a real warrior, Scrooge had the shield the other guard had carried in his hand. The other guard, now trying to recover from a cane whack, was seeing stars from behind the wagon. Scrooge deflected the arrow as it came, and then let the bearded guard get a taste of his cane. _Thwack! _He toppled over like a discarded bag, his face on the ground.

"Let's see you try to see things now!" said Scrooge. "Ahhaha! We're coming for you, Donald!"

With the two guards taken care of, Scrooge and the nephews speeded their way to the Resistance Fort to look for Donald.

…

Donald, fresh from fighting a batch of minions in the fort, came back to where he started from. Right from the start he knew something was amiss. Alexander, gagged and struggling in his bonds, descended from the ceiling. Donald was about to say something, when Creepy, jumping out of Lloyd's chamber, hopped to the large opening chamber and cackled with triumph.

"Heeheeheeheehee! Ohohohohohoho! I've did it, I've did it! I got the foolish commander and his pesky sidekick gagged up like hostages, which they are! Donald, I'm going to tell you that I'm not Creeper, but his shady side! I'm Creepy, and with this new fort of mine, I'll launch my campaign to overthrow the Horned King and put Sir Taran in power! But… I have to get rid of you first!"

He rapped his claw on the ground, and two bird gwythanits flew into the chamber and grabbed hold of Alexander. Creepy giggled and followed the two giant birds to the large door at the end of the chamber, where it lead to an even larger dining hall.

"Come back here!" snapped Donald. "I'll fight ya if I have to!"

"Come in here!" shrieked Creepy back. "I'll fight you if I have to!"


	18. Chapter 18 Creepy Conflict

Chapter 18 Creepy Conflict

The Dining Hall had a very high ceiling, and it was this ceiling where one of the Gwythaint birds like the kind Horny used to own flew below. It came down and snagged the struggling Alexander from Creepy's grasp, taking the warrior up to dangle from the ceiling. Donald entered the dining hall and the doors closed behind him. Creepy was there on the front of the very long table, rubbing his hands and snickering. Hopping off, he approached Donald. The duck was livid with anger as he addressed his solution to their conflict.

"So, you came right in here after all, did you?" said Creepy. "Looks like I'll have to fight you then! You sealed your fate when you placed one foot past those doors! Creepy isn't a pushover like Gurgle! Oh, no, I can take you out in just a flash! His tree friend was limited to just a small area, but _my _companion is much more useful. Come here, gwythaint!"

A third gwythaint flew in through one of the open windows, and it was much different than the other two. This demonic bird wore armor, and its savage head had a helmet of silver metal cover it. Staring at Donald with red eyes, the massive bird landed on the floor of the hall with a soft boom and gave a raspy screech. A handy saddle was on the creature's back, and Creepy put it to use. Patting the gwythaint's helmeted head, Creepy slapped his feet on its sides to make it rise up. He sneered at his opponent as he rose, and Donald's clenched fists were begging to meet a goblin shady side's face.

"Come and get me, you feathery fool!" exclaimed Creepy.

Donald squawked hard and launched himself onto the dinner table, which was properly cleared for a battle. Circling overhead, the Armor Gwythaint knew what his master wanted to do and gave a battle cry that would rattle the very bones of any sensible person. _Swoosh! _It flew to the end of the table and swooped down to strike Donald. He jumped up and narrowly missed the beak and Creepy both. Donald turned around and saw Creepy jeer him from the back of the bird, and then Donald knew that if he did not have a weapon on him, he would have to rely on his fists and feet instead. Creepy steered the bird to fly above the hall to let the other gwythaints have a try. One by one, the two of the others swooped down to give Donald a blow, but he jumped over them one after the other.

"Come on!" yelled Donald. "Get down and dirty!"

"Suit yourself!" screeched Creepy.

Donald did not see it at first, but there was a large sword glimmering with a sharp quality hanging above a crackling fireplace. Smirking grimly, Creepy guided the bird gwythaint to the weapon, and he nabbed it instantly. Now armed, Creepy soon met Donald and tried to swipe him. He ducked and gave the gwythaint a kick. Unfortunately, he forgot it was armored, and he reverberated from the attack uncomfortably. Laughing, Creepy swooped back and had his monster wait on the left end of the table.

With a yell, Donald ran wildly at the gwythaint and its rider and mustered all the strength he could conjure to jump high in the air. His trusted feet landed on Creepy's head, and his eyes rolled around as Donald landed back on the table. Creepy shook his head to recover from the blow and growled at his enemy. The gwythaint landed at the end of the table and latched its talons onto it.

"Get a different perspective, will you?" said Creepy.

Donald spun around and landed on the cold stone floor. The gwythaint had pulled the table out from underneath him and forced it over into the side, knocking the whole thing over. With no table to stand on, Creepy seemed to be higher up. The three terrible birds floated by each other as Donald tried to get up on his feet. That was when Creepy made his move and swooped down with all three monsters at once. One was at one side of the hall, one on the other, and Creepy's floating above. Turning from side to side to see his attackers, Donald jumped up just when one gwythaint came by. By doing that, he found himself riding on the back of the bird. It was beating its wings to try to knock him off, but he jumped onto the next one to get closer to Creepy. With the shady side within reach, he executed another jump and landed right on top of him.

"Gah!" cried Creepy. "Treating my gwythaints like platforms, are you?"

Clearly frustrated, Creepy managed his Armor Gwythaint to fly all the way up to the ceiling. It arched itself to where its beak was pointing downward, and it came dive-bombing down toward Donald. It was a quick move, but Donald side-stepped it and forced the giant bird to crash down on the floor. Spread out in temporary unconsciousness, the Armored Gwythaint had Creepy lying on his back, completely vulnerable. Donald took this opportunity to punch the goblin shady side and send him jumping up with pain.

"Three hits and none from you!" yelled Creepy. "Looks like I need to go tough on you!"

"Ah, come on!" said Donald. "Have a little sportsmanship, will ya?"

"There's no sportsmanship in fighting, you addlebrained duck!" snapped Creepy.

He stomped on the bird to make it get up, and the monster was set once more to fight. Screeching with harshness at Donald, it took off into the air. Creepy pulled out his sword and pointed at his opponent, showing the gwythaint the direction to take. The creature turned around and had its talons open in addition to Creepy's sword, and Donald privately wished he had his own sword. All that was around that he could use were chairs and torches, and Donald took a chair standing next to him to ward off the oncoming gwythaint. Like taming a lion at the circus, Donald held his chair with bated breath with the legs pointing outward. The talons seemed to get sharper the more they came closer to Donald. _Scratch! _They dug into Donald's chair and forced him up into the air.

"Ah, ah, whoa!" cried Donald.

"Gotcha!" said Creepy, whipping out his sword and lowering down the gwythaint's back.

Clinging to the bird's leg, Creepy raised his sword to strike Donald. Then, the duck pulled off an impressive acrobatic feat for him. He swung on the chair legs and let go, sending himself up on top of the bird and right behind the shocked Creepy as a result. He had no time to turn around and slash, because Donald shoved him clean off his gwythaint and set the shady side on his way screaming all the way down onto the wooden dinner table. The impact was so hard that it broke below Creepy's weight, and he swiveled up into a robed ball.

Not happy that it was being controlled by Donald, the gwythaint shrieked and bucked him off just as he was about to save Alexander from his suspended height. Donald took hold of Alexander, and was close enough to see his startled eyes speak for his gagged mouth. Below, Creepy's moans broke off, and he unrolled himself to give his opponent a murderous glance. Pointing a claw at him, Creepy gave a deep growl that caught the attention of the two gwythaints loitering nearby.

"Get both of them!" he ordered.

Obeying, the giant birds flew to the two hanging figures. Clinging with a hard grip, Donald peeked over Alexander's shoulder and could not believe what he saw. There, hidden underneath the rope, was the scabbard holding his sword. The bumbling shady side forgot all about disarming Lloyd's second in command! Alexander apparently was not aware of this, for when Donald pulled the sword out of the scabbard, his eyes widened and he shook with excitement. If Donald could hold on to the weapon and not lose it, he would have a better chance of defeating Creepy. For his part, Creepy scowled when he saw the blade in Donald's hands. The duck was now keeping the two gwythaints at bay with it.

"Get back you two!" said Donald. "Come any closer and I'll slice you're tail off!"

"Get him already!" screeched Creepy. "You have him and Alexander right in front of you!"

One of the two gwythaints gave a ghastly scream and dove underneath Donald, its beak raised upward. Thinking it was going to try to peck at him from below, Donald climbed down Alexander's body and thrust at the bird. It backed off with a squawk and then turned around. Its wing caught Alexander a blow and made him swing like a pendulum. Donald clung on for dear life and the other gwythaint saw its chance. It swooped in for a bite, but then Alexander bumped into him to deal a clumsy blow. The dizzy bird fell like a rock, smashing the table into two.

"Uh, you clumsy oaf, that could've been easily avoided!" complained Creepy.

"Stop complaining and fight Donald, you little beast!" yelled Alexander. "Come up here and fight him for once!"

With the rag covering his mouth torn from Donald's sword, Alexander was freshly ready to be freed from his bonds. The other gwythaint that was still in the air tried its best to attack both Donald and Alexander, but Donald swiped at the bird to keep it away. Finally, the monstrous bird had enough and flew to the two of them like a missile. That was when Donald gave a clean cut on its back to take several feathers, leaving a bare spot on its back. Furious, it raised his talons and sparred with Donald's sword. _Clang! Clank! _The noise filled the chamber, and Creepy was soon itching for a fight too. Since the normal gwythaint was just going easy with him, he had his armored one nudge it aside so it could truly fight Donald. _Clang! Clank! Scree! _Donald's sword caught a blow on one of the monster's few weak points, and a trail of ooze spilled out.

"Not a wound!" growled Creepy. "Get tough on him, my Armor Gwythaint!"

"Give him all the skills you have, Donald!" cheered Alexander.

It was a sword-against-talon duel, Donald and the Armor Gwythaint exchanging thrusts of their sharp weapons that rang out a harsh cacophony of the fight. The monster's wickedly long talons and Donald's trusty sword met each other again and again, and Creepy, unbeknownst to Donald, hid his own sword behind his back so the duck would not get too much of an advantage. However, Creepy's back was not very big, and his weapon was as plain as day to Alexander, who was swinging with each blow the Armor Gwythaint dealt on Donald's sword.

"Donald!" called Alexander. "Watch out for Creepy! He's got a sword as well!"

"He does?" quacked Donald.

Creepy growled as he showed his sword to his enemy. He perched himself on top of the Armor Gwythaint and raised his blade upward, his crazed eyes staring down at Donald. The duck saw what he was about to do, and he kicked Alexander backward. The action made him sway to the back just as Creepy swung his sword, and he screeched loudly as he fell. Grabbing onto the Armor Gwythaint's talons, his sword fell to a clatter on the floor. From his hanging position, he thought up a quick idea, and it was enough to make him snicker. He looked up at the rope that suspended to the ceiling and down at the hard stone floor.

"Up, Armor Gwythaint!" commanded Creepy. "I've got an idea!"

"Oh, dear, an idea coming from him is not a good thing," muttered Alexander, who was still swinging.

Rising up to just above Alexander's level, the Armor Gwythaint holding Creepy swung its talons upward just far enough for Creepy to snag the rope with his claws. Donald had a spilt second to act, and act he did. _Snap! _The rope was cut and Alexander, with his arms still bonded, was let go. But Donald jumped outward just as Creepy made his move and his hand was on Alexander's bonded ropes. Creepy was surprised to say the least; he thought he would have dropped all the way down to the floor in defeat. Screaming, Creepy witnessed Donald cut up all the ropes binding Alexander and the Armor Gwythaint throwing a fit over Donald and Alexander putting on so much weight on its back. The duck gave Creepy a sound blow to the head with his sword hilt and then used the discarded ropes from around Alexander's waist to tie up Creepy's snapping mouth.

"There, that oughta shut you up!" said Donald.

Because the Armor Gwythaint was armored, Donald could not hurt the bird from its back or belly. So instead he forced it to fly around the room aimlessly, bumping it into the walls and making a thunderstorm of a noise. It was all too much even for Alexander, who jumped off when he was closer to the floor. Donald had Creepy suspended on one end of the Armor Gwythaint, and he rode along like a hanging antennae. Bobbing around, the dazed goblin shady side was crushed against the wall every time Donald steered the bird backwards into it. He was dealing so much damage to the monster that it was screeching for mercy. Donald was not one for mercy, though, for he drove the monster right into the fireplace. An explosion of embers danced out into the dining hall, sending a smoking Creepy pathetically rolling out.

"No, what have you done to my beautiful Armor Gwythaint?" gasped Creepy. "You've… Oh, ohhoho! Now you've done it, duck! You shouldn't have done that!"

Jumping up from the floor in a mad dance of glee, Creepy dusted at his brunt rags and pointed at the fireplace. The Armor Gwythaint walked out of the fireplace with eyes blazing like never before. Its armor was red with heat and its beak had steam coming out from underneath it. Donald had turned it into a Fire Armor Gwythaint!

"See, duck, you've helped my monster, not defeated it!" said Creepy. "You've set your own demise because of it!"

Too hot for him to ride anymore, Creepy instead stood by the fiendish bird with his recovered sword. To make it harder for Donald, Creepy ordered his other two gwythaints to enter the fireplace to upgrade them. Now there were three fiery gwythaints and Creepy himself for Donald to deal with. A fleeting look of concern spread across Donald's face, but Alexander remained firm.

"Be brave, Donald," said Alexander. "You're not going to let this little creep and his three fiery geese defeat you. You're Donald Duck, the greatest fighting duck in all Prydain!"

Donald's confidence grew, and then he saw Creepy stick his tongue out at him. That added some anger into Donald's confidence, it grew into determination. With a yell, Donald charged at Creepy and kicked him, catching the goblin off guard. Being small, he was launched back into the wall, where he sat recovering from the hard hit. With a growl to bring him back to attention, Creepy raised his sword and spun around madly like a spinning top. Donald avoided the shady side, but the birds on the sidelines were shooting bursts of fire from their beaks. Making a dance of dodges, Donald evaded the attacks and jumped up on top of the broken table. Creepy spun into it and got his sword caught on it. He tried to tug it out, but Donald poked him in the back with his sword.

"Ouch!" cried Creepy.

"Quit all the fancy moves!" said Donald.

Now Creepy was snarling, he got up on the table and lunged at Donald with his sword, seeking to poke him hard enough to warrant a stab. Donald would have none of it, though, and punched him right on the jaw. He toppled back down on the floor and shook his head to get rid of the new dizziness. Opening an eye at the three fiery gwythaints, he was disappointed to see their fighting was minimal. Donald quickly Alexander's sword back and also looked at the three monsters.

"What are you doing looking?" barked Creepy. "Burn that duck to a crisp!"

The three of them went up in the air over Donald, opening their beaks to breath fire on him. Instead, they had chairs thrown at them, and Donald landed one of them a nice enough hit to make it fall back down. Creepy wanted to reiterate by getting at Donald from behind, but Alexander was there to get an even bigger sword in Creepy's face.

"I would take you out myself, scum," growled Alexander. "But I'll save that for Donald."

As for Donald, he had successfully kept the birds at bay and turned on Creepy. The shady side was no less edgy to get back at the duck, and they returned to the battle at hand. Creepy charged like a mad man at his enemy, his sword held awkwardly to the side. He leaped up on the table to get at Donald. Thinking fast, Donald took a chair and held onto it like a shield. Creepy's sword burrowed into its wooden frame and got stuck. In the hurry to pull it out, Creepy found himself suspended off the table and hanging on the sword hilt. Donald had picked up the chair with Creepy still holding on. Grinning, Donald shook the chair, making Creepy disoriented by all the shaking. When he was perfectly dazed, Donald let go, causing the shady side to fall off and roll away.

"That does it, duck!" said Creepy. "Aim for his head, gwythaints!"

All three of the hideous birds flew apart from one another and aimed with their beaks at Donald's noggin. Becoming tired of the tense fight, Donald decided to end it for good. He stood waiting as if he were expecting a mailman to come along, and the birds dropped down with swift speed. Then, with a slick movement that surprised Donald himself, he dove right in front of Creepy. Looking at him oddly, Creepy stared at him until Donald jumped right back to where he was. Creepy soon realized what he had done, but he was a fraction of a second too late. _Wham! _All three of the gwythaints, still smoldering, piled on top of the goblin shady side.

"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy, I did it!" cheered Donald.

The impact, which rattled the whole fortress, brought about the demise of the terrible bird monsters. Once sizzling with heat, they turned black with soot, and their red eyes dimmed to mere black holes. The Armor Gwythaint, Creepy's personal guardian, poked its head from the pile and uttered one last screech before dropping back down on the floor with a thud. A plume of smoke escaped its beak, and it was as good as dead. Among the heavy bodies, Creepy dragged himself out and ambled down the pile to sway with fatigue. Sadly staring at the one who defeated him, he emitted a strange gas from his body.

"Master… I'm sorry… I have failed," he whimpered.

Donald stood there in front of his beaten enemy, but he was not sure to take him out. Thankfully, his answer did not take long to arrive. The dining hall doors slammed open as Scrooge, Huey, Dewey, and Louie on their wagon came bursting into the hall and barreling over Creepy. Sending him away, he smacked against the floor and burst into a green cloud of gas. A small orb of the same color zipped away like a bauble, and Creepy was done.

"Uncle Scrooge!" said Huey. "It's like a battleground in here!"

"That's just because your uncle is a true warrior!" said Alexander, approaching the wagon as it came to a halt. "He has saved the Resistance Fort!"

"Wow, our Uncle Donald saving a whole fortress of warriors!" said Dewey with awe.

"And he didn't even need our help!" piped up Louie.

"Eh, I suppose we did help him with that little monster we run over," said Scrooge. "You're recklessness actually helped for once, Louie!"

"Don't mention it, Uncle Scrooge," said Louie, feeling proud.

"Ah, don't sweat it, guys!" said Donald. "I bet those shady palookas probably know their little leader's as good as gone now! Let's go and get Lloyd!"

Donald and Alexander got to go on a wagon ride pulled by the nephews to Lloyd's chamber. Donald was slightly concerned over the commander, and did not want to think about what Creepy had done to him while they fought. So once they came inside to look for him, they found not only Lloyd sitting near his table as though nothing happened, but also Gurgi sitting on the bed.

"Gurgi's so glad to see Master Donald victorious over that shady!" said Gurgi. "In fact, after rescuing Commander, Gurgi's just found out that those terrible monsters have gone! Hooray! Now Gurgi and Master Donald have to go meet the good warriors outside. Gurgi just told them all what happened, and they want to tell you something."

Riding back out to the campground, Donald was greeted with huge cheers from the soldiers. He paraded around on the wagon, thanking the men for their brave fight and even forgiving the two guards that tried to shoot Huey, Dewey, and Louie earlier. It was a wonderful feeling all around. Lloyd and Alexander looked at Donald Duck as he rode on the wagon among the crowd.

"I wish our upcoming warrior was like him," said Lloyd. "Now is the time for him to come!"

"I agree, Lloyd, I agree," said Alexander. "All these years of resistance will finally pay off!"


	19. Chapter 19 Beach Bound

Chapter 19 Beach Bound

Donald felt like he was on top of the world. He was sitting around the bonfire with Huey, Dewey, Louie, Scrooge, and the troops singing away about their victory over the Shady Side's minions. The playful fire lit up their cheery faces and their mouths opened wide to the hearty words they sang. Happy as if he wanted to take the Horned King by the horns, Donald even swung around a jug of grape juice to replace the wine. The night seemed alive by the festivities.

"We did it, comrades

The enemy turned tail and fled

We saved the day for us all

And here we stand all tall

We fought, we slew, we did the best we could

And the enemy became nothing more

And we live to fight another day!"

While they continued to sing their hearts out, Lloyd stood at the battlements of his fortress with Alexander, contemplating what lied ahead. He stared at the stars and gazed at the black forest.

"I wonder," said Lloyd. "When would this warrior arrive? Sometimes I can feel a strong sense of awareness sweep me, but it goes away in a flash. It has been years since we have first started seeking this person, but he has eluded us time and again. However, I believe those ducks coming to our kingdom have caused quite a stir among our enemies. The warrior may come to our gates now."

"He has to come here eventually," said Alexander. "This kind of waiting is boring for all of us. What use are warriors when they're lying around singing at bonfires? Wait… is that an orb I see?"

Sure enough, there was an orb floating out of the black forest. Blue and shiny, it came to the battlements and radiated a feeling of calm. There was a sudden flash, and the Spring Fairy showed herself to the two warrior leaders. They both bowed politely, for it was very special for a magical or supernatural being to visit fellow humans.

"What brings you to our fort, my lady?" asked Lloyd.

"Ah, Commander Lloyd, how nice to see you tonight!" said the Spring Fairy. "Oh, I have news to bring concerning Donald. You see, the princess that you thought was kidnapped by… oh, you know… was actually taken by a big brute and his band of villains."

"Really?" said Alexander. "Spring Fairy, I will tell Donald at once. But, there is one thing we would like to ask you."

"Ah, ask away, my dear!" said the Spring Fairy.

"Will you go and find out who exactly this brute is and where he's heading?" asked Alexander.

"Yes, I will do that," said the Spring Fairy. "Now, I must be off to go wandering for this big brute."

The fairy morphed back to her orb form and shot off into the darkness of night, leaving the two warriors with thoughts about what this new danger might be. They decided to go and find Donald so he would know, and once they caught him still singing away, they told him about the kidnapping. Lloyd was surprised that Donald took the news lightly because he had known about it for a few days, and he chuckled as he turned back to his fort. The duck was a very charming kind of character; it was not like him to take bad news not so badly.

…

When sleep finally pulled on everyone's eye lids, they lumbered their backs to their beds and plopped down like old dogs after a tiring day with the pack. Donald did not stay in the tents, however, but he did get a stay in the Resistance Fort, and it was there where he was snoozing on a spacious bed shadowed by blue from the stones on the floor and walls and the moonlight creeping through the open window. Everything was as quiet as it could be, but inside Donald's head, a bizarre dream was unfolding.

Donald saw himself in a field somewhere in Prydain, and three large buildings were in front of him. There was the Horned King's castle in the west, House of Mouse in the center, and Caer Dallben on the right, and all three places were off in the horizon, beckoning the duck to come visit them. The oddest appearance, though, was Taran and apparently Sir Taran standing on opposite sides and staring at Donald. Sir Taran was wearing the same work clothes as the normal Taran, which made the two of them perfectly identical. They were also speaking something as well, and their combined voices echoed around Donald's ears.

"There is a beginning and an end," said the two Tarans. "Only you can find out what lies ahead for Prydain, Donald. Only you can pick the path that leads to the right answer. If you don't, then the kingdom will fall. Choose wisely, Donald. You like The Black Cauldron well enough, now show it."

The environment changed into a disorienting realm of swirling colors. Purple mixed with yellow and white blended with red, and Donald saw the black cauldron itself float into view. Something was not right about it, however. A face engraved into the cauldron's front was glowing abysmally, and Donald's focus grew on it. Then a sword, likely the one named Dyrwyn, shot out of the cauldron and floated above like a shining relic of great importance. Five orbs flew around the cauldron, and two of them, a blue one and green one, dissipated while they others kept going.

"An adventure lies ahead," said the Tarans. "Good luck making it, Donald, because there is more counting on you than just a movie."

The face glowed even brighter, and Donald woke up with a start. Panting, all he saw now was the calm chamber he was sleeping in. Calming down, Donald mumbled about weird dreams and then found himself back to sleep before he knew it.

…

Although it was a little disappointing to see them leave so soon, Lloydd and the troops knew that they would meet again someday. There were pats on the back, well wishes, and departing comments being made at the gate that would lead to the path toward the beach. Huey, Dewey, and Louie each had a bag full of supplies and they were lumbering ahead to catch up to Scrooge. Alexander, the one that Donald liked most of all out of the men, was making his own goodbyes and farewells to the young man.

"I'll come back to see ya soon, don't worry," said Donald.

"Oh, I'm sure you will, Donald," said Alexander faintly. "That dream you told Lloyd sounded mighty peculiar, but don't let it bother you. Perhaps this Taran will arrive at our camp someday, but for now, we leave you to the mission of rescuing the princess."

"Grrr, that lousy no-good Pete better keep one eye open at night!" said Donald. "Donald Duck's gonna go get him packin' all the way back to Toon Town!"

Alexander wondered what Toon Town was, but Donald had turned around and met up with his relatives. Now that they had come together, they wanted to make sure that they would work together to accomplish this mission. The route to the beach involved going through a glade of short trees and cute cottages as described by Lloyd.

"So why did ya come down to this place, Scrooge?" asked Donald.

"It was nothing more but Daisy's concern," said Scrooge. "Now, before you babble at me, I believe I should tell you that I was also getting rather bored around town. These old limbs of mine have been getting stiff, you know? So, as she told me her troubles, I seized the opportunity, for I could just feel adventure call for me!"

The sun was shining bright today, and the clouds drifted lazily by. Grass was swaying in the breeze, and the forest that stood along the trail was gleaming with sunlight. A squirrel was climbing in the treetops and looked down at the stranger ducks below. A light breeze ruffled Donald's feathers, giving him a nice feeling.

…

After an hour of walking down this pretty land, they had reached a glade with rocks jutting out of the ground. There was a crooked tree that hanged in front of a bumpy mound, and Scrooge inspected.

"Well now, this looks like a tribal burial mound," said Scrooge. "But what is such a thing doing in a medieval-style kingdom?"

"Maybe it's for sitting?" said Huey. "I need to take a break from all that walking with this bag!"

Huey took his bag off his shoulder and put it on the mound. He then sat himself on it and sighed.

"Be careful there, Huey!" snapped Scrooge. "It would be a mess if you damaged it!"

"Ah, don't worry, Uncle Scrooge." said Huey. "This thing's as hard as a rock! Here, I'll show you."

_Thud! Crack! _Huey smacked his foot on the mound and made it crack on the outside. Wincing, he stared at Scrooge with regret as he returned a glare.

"Now look what you've done, you rascal!" scolded Scrooge.

"I bet that dead guy liked that!" added Donald.

Then there was a whooshing sound from underneath the covering. A purple light flashed and a gloved black hand shot out. All the ducks cried out, but Huey was clearly the one most scared. He jumped above the wretched hand and hung onto a branch of the crooked tree. Just as quick as it appeared, it retreated back into the darkness. Some muttered speech was picked up by Scrooge, but it was too mangled to comprehend. The mound was still again.

"It's still alive!" said Huey, clinging to the branch.

"No, this is not a burial mound, look!" said Scrooge.

He pointed inside and the others looked in. The mound was just a simple hole where a groundhog would have once lived. There was nothing where the purple light or the hand would have come from.

"That's spooky," said Donald.

"I don't like this place," said Dewey. "Let's just keep on goin' down the path to the beach."

They agreed, and they all went back to the beach bound trail. But there was something strange about the hill that sloped down from the tree. A small and stocky shape was heaving up from the hill's base a sack of stones. It saw Donald and family leaving, and it dropped the sack. His bread swung side-to-side as the creature ran to meet the travelers.

"Wait!" cried the little man. "Don't leave me here with the crook!"

His squeaky voice was picked up by Donald, and he turned to see a dwarf similar to Snow White's, but more like a garden gnome. He had a green cap and twinkly blue eyes. His work boots clomped on the ground as he came to a stop in front of Donald.

"If I saw right, duck, you broke the cursed mound of the Hag!" said the dwarf. "For that, you get my complete and total thanks!"

"Aha! So it was magic!" exclaimed Scrooge.

"Yes, it certainly was," said the dwarf. "I'm Gruffle, just so you'll know. Anyway, that mound was magic by very far. The Hag ordered me to give her rocks when I came by here earlier today. She refused to tell me why, so I had to haul those blasted things up the steep hill. She wouldn't show me what she looks like, so she said she was in some place totally far away. I had to do that chore all day until you fellows just saved me!"

"I'm happy to have helped ya out, sir!" said Huey, beaming.

Donald soon thought about what Lloyd said about the little cottages and instantly thought about a dwarf village. That meant that the beach could not have been too far off. Delighted, he saw that the dwarf wore a tunic with the emblem of his village, a diamond surrounded by flowers.

"Where's your village?" asked Donald. "We need to get some rest!"

"How'd you know I came from a village?" said Gruffle. "It's just a short march down the trail, next to the golden valley. It's where the mines start too, but you wouldn't care too much about that. Here, I'll follow you straight to it!"

He led the eager ducks on a path to expected comfort, and along the way Gruffle chatted about a dwarf's love of mining and organization, which slightly bored the nephews. At least he was much better company than a shady side, so they let him flow as they looked around the dense foliage of the woods. Scrooge had to admit that Prydain had wonderful wooded areas, but he was not expecting to see the upcoming village.

The gate to the dwarf village was made of strong wood from an oak, lined with smooth markings. It arched over the heads of the travelers, looking like it was welcoming them to a happy place. Right from the beginning, they saw lines of dwarf commoners bustling around the square of their village greeting, chattering, and arguing at the same time. Towering over them all was a massive tree that was like a wooden skyscraper with doors and windows placed all around. Its immense size wowed Donald, the nephews, and Scrooge, but Gruffle waddled right into the hustle and bustle of the dwarf commotion, doing his own greeting, chattering, and arguing.

"There you have it, boys, our own guide has gone and deserted us!" complained Scrooge.

Donald was just as disappointed, but he began to see that something was a little strange about the commotion. It turned out that it was not an ordinary commute, but a very unorganized gathering. The square was almost impossible to walk into with the wave of little male and female dwarfs squeezing around. The massive tree that impressed him earlier had a big gate at its base, and from that gate came the silly but respectful appearance of the dwarf mayor of the village. Everyone squealed with cheer when he showed up, and he twirled his little beard like it was a lovely harp. His cheeks were a sweet red and his big eyes were almost childish. Despite his youthful looks, he had considerable authority, for he was escorted by two tough-looking dwarfs that were shoving the others away from their leader.

"Out of the mayor's way, you!" they barked simutaneously.

Right behind the mayor was his servants dragging a wooden throne in a careless way. It bumped along the ground and even nudged a few shoulders here and there, but it remained firm. The mayor managed to reach the center of the village square, still smiling, and turned his gaze on the ducks standing above him.

"Ah, you're just in time to see my weekly address!" he said. "Isn't it funny how things happen like that? I'm Mayor Gumfo by the way."

"Uh, yeah, I guess so," said Donald. "One of your buddies brought us here from the hill."

"So that was what happened to Gruffle!" exclaimed Gumfo, scratching his white hair. "You hear that, my citizens! Gruffle had not been abducted after all! I suggest you hold your tongues and keep those petty rumors to yourselves next time, hmmm? Yes, I'm looking at you, Pumffle sisters. I remember the time when you spread rumors of a gwythaint taking our diamonds to decorate the Horned King's crummy castle. That was a hoot for you, but a drain on everyone else! Do carry on now, duck, why do you and your friends there wish to go to the beach?"

"We are going to the beach to search for Pete, that's why!" said Scrooge. "That rogue has kidnapped a princess dear to Donald, and me and the nephews here will help him win her back!"

Donald felt a little intimidated having everyone lay eyes on him, but the mayor seemed to be liking the whole ordeal. Laughing an odd laugh that sounded like a snicker and a giggle, he plomped down on the wooden throne and pointed up to his tree. The sun was spreading its rays down the bark to give it a nice feature .

"This is our home, obviously," said Gumfo. "We have had these whispers, not made by the Pumffle sisters, that speak of a burly rogue and his band causing some trouble. Well, here's an offer! May we take you to the beach ourselves in our very own wagon train?"

"Sure! We'd love something like that!" said Donald.

"I thought you'd say that," replied Gumfo. "Footmen! Show our visitors our latest, state-of-the-art wagon train, please!"

His footmen scurried off back to the big tree. Gesturing to the ducks to follow, Gumfo took them around the big tree and the residents followed not far behind. The wagon train stood waiting on the other side as though it expected to be boarded. Twelve wagons, fairly big for dwarf size, were lined up. A fat dwarf took the reins of a group of ponies all fit to go.

"Surprised?" said Gumfo. "I always have the train set up in case travelers came on by!"

It was kind of strange how the dwarfs let them up on the wagons like they were a part of the family, and to Donald it seemed to be a little too kind. He remembered the nephews doing something nice to him before and ended up making a mess out of him. But he knew he could not say anything since he had to be kind in return. They were taking him to the beach after all.

"It appears I might have to say goodbye now, ducks," said Gumfo, waving his grubby hand and smiling widely. "You go and get that goon for me, will you? Of course you will. If I thought you wouldn't… well, farewell anyway!"

"Goodbye, Mayor Gumfo!" exclaimed Huey, Dewey, and Louie.

"Yeah, uh, thanks a lot!" said Donald.

The dwarfs appeared to be more warm with their goodbyes than their mayor, who shuffled off as soon as the nephews said their goodbyes. Donald dealt him a suspicious look, but the wagon train had started up and he was lurched backward on the trailer.

"Those dwarfs may be wee small, but I believe they have diamonds with enormous value somewhere!" piped up Scrooge.

"I saw that on their symbol!" said Donald.

"Yes, I did too, but those lads are quite good about their money because there is no trace of the good stuff at all!" repiled Scrooge, scouring the village for the valuables.

It was actually pretty entertaining for Donald and the others to watch the working Dwarfs do their business. Small female dwarfs chatted as they picked berries and tough male dwarfs with thick beards hacked away on wood for their fires. Even smaller dwarf children who would not be as big as a toddler scurried around and tugged at each other in playful spirts. The one dwarf who they had helped, Gruffle, was nowhere to be seen, and the ducks guessed that he had returned back to another normal day for the woodlanders. They only hoped that he had not have forgotten all about them like that mayor seemed to be.

Donald took a glance at the fat driver, who was looking straight ahead with the ponies, and then checked the other wagons. They all looked to be empty. He chuckled and relaxed on the hay, dumping his earlier thoughts since there were no sneaky spies keeping a watch on him. There might not have been in the village, but once the wagon train entered the woods when twilight was ending a spooky darkness floated amongst the travelers. Donald shivered, because this darkness was similar to the one he had to endure when he was with Gurgi at the apple tree. Thinking of the hairy creature made Donald wonder where he could have been, but he was soon too busy looking around at the dark trunks of the trees to care.

"Rough night 'tis and it won't get much better," grumbled the dwarf driving the train.

"Eh, I can always sleep through it," said Scrooge. "If you just shut your eyes, you'll never know what's staring at you. I'll see money instead of a monster, thank you very much."

But something really was odd aobut the woods. Donald thought he saw some eyes darting around the darkness, transfixing him with piercing stares. The nephews were dozing with sleep, not aware that a hairy hand had zipped above their heads and made a thumping noise on a tree trunk. Donald did not see that one, but he did see what looked like a large bat swoop over all of their heads.

"Hey, uh, driver guy," muttered Donald. "Do ya see something' ahead?"

"Imma nottbla dwarffble Donble," blurted the driver.

Donald rasied his eyes at the weird speech, and leaned over to get a better look. A dwarf was not sitting at the reins, but a goblin with fat cheeks and big yellow eyes. Donald screamed at the sight of it and bounced all over the wagon, waking up the ducks with a start. The goblin hissed and snapped the backs of the ponies with a switch, sending the wagon train on a wild night ride. The wind blew back Donald's standing feathers and darkened trees moved by at a quick speed. The goblin turned to his passengers and gurgled a chilling cry that shook his very cheeks. The hay underneath the wagon beds burst with new goblins, quickly trying to bond the ducks. Donald punched a few off the wagon and Scrooge toke out some himself. Donald even turned around and shoved the driving goblin onto the ponies.

"Helppa Creeperbble!" cried the goblin, hanging onto a frenzied pony.

The wagon train was beginning to swing around, eventually smacking against a tree and breaking up the train into separate wagons. Some of the goblins were stranded and collided another tree to be scattered around, and the nephews and Scrooge jumped out of theirs just before it could spin like a top. Hay went everywhere like dust, and the lead goblin was in a tussle with Donald.

"Stop all this right now!" demanded Donald.

"Nabba duckka!" shot back the goblin. "Memma bebble Cheeble!"

"I don't know what you're sayin' but I don't care, _wak!_" yelled Donald.

The green brute was twice the size of Creeper, and meaner too, for he was kicking at Donald like a goat. The pony took his strangling grip no longer and halted, causing the other ponies to halt too, and the two fighters were sent rolling down a hill. Dirt got into Donald's body and he was squeezed against the blabbering goblin so hard that he was formed into a ball with him. The smooth ground gave way to a cliff, where a rocky creek lied. Donald and Cheeble stopped just at the top, and the goblin made a crooked grin.

"Wherbble bebba youbble frienbblas, Donble?" said Cheeble to Donald.

"What's that?" snapped Donald. "You're still talkin' gibberish!"

"I'mbble hiredbbla bybble Gumfobbla!" said Cheeble, clearing his voice.

"Gumfo!" cried Donald. "I knew that palooka was crooked!"

Cheeble drew back from Donald's bear-like grip and picked up the flialing duck. Amongst the duck's furious yells, the goblin declared the saying he wanted to say.

"Donble, Youbbla bebble castbbla intobble rockbblas!" roared Cheeble.

He pulled his arms back to toss Donald over the edge, but a wonderful thing happened. Four ponies ridden by four ducks raced down the hill and snatched Donald right from Cheeble's grasp. Then there was a fifth pony, the one Cheeble handled roughly, that came to the goblin and gave him a swift kick over the edge and right into the hard rocks. The rogue was seeing stars as Donald rode away with Scrooge.

"Ah, thanks a lot, Scrooge!" thanked Donald.

"Don't mention it, my lad," said Scrooge. "That beastie gave you a time."

With the adventuring group together again, they made their way to the beach, which was not far off. The smell of salt water entered their senses, and they cheered when they stepped out of the woods and into the shore of a blue beach peaceful with the starry night. The moon shone above, and the dark waters that lied ahead hid countless areas where Princess Eilonwy would be found.

"We better be goin'!" said Donald. "We have a princess to save!"

"Let's get some shut eye first, Uncle Donald," said Huey, who was yawning along with the other two nephews.

"Yeah," said Donald, dabbing at his eyes. "I feel like it too."

So the ducks with their pony friends found a nice place to sleep under some trees and they slept to the gentle sound of waves brushing up to shore. They did not see the battleship far off in the distance of the waters come into view. This battleship raised a flag, and a skull shaped like the head of a certain fat cat's with bones crossed flapped in the nightly air.


	20. Chapter 20 High Seas Antics

Chapter 20 High Seas Antics

Peg Leg Pete surveyed the dark blue waters around him with gleeful content. He felt very excited at the moment, mainly from that strange worm that was sucking his leg in the woods. Amongst the cries of Princess Eilonwy, growls of villains running low on energy, and animated calls of minions, a change took the cat over. He felt tired and dizzy. Thankfully, they tore out of the forest and stumbled upon Horny's former battleship. Becoming his jolly self again, he and the bad ones manned it right away.

Now Pete had been given a buccaneer persona, donning a peg leg for his sucked leg that was crafted from Captain Hook himself. Thinking of Hook, Peg Leg Pete clomped to the posing pirate leader, who was sitting on a chair as though wore out. Pete might have been disheartened about losing a leg, but he was still his usual attitude.

"What's the big idea lounging around, Hook?" he barked. "Come on, try to look like you're lively for once, will ya? You're the one who knows everything about sailin' ships and all that. Take pity for my temporarily lost leg too, that darn worm felt like it sucked all the life out of my poor ole leg!"

The captain, normally quite active, was still stock- tired. His eyes drooped and his hook lazily clawed the wooden railing of the ship. Scowling, Peg Leg Pete made his way down onto the deck and entered his cabin. He was sure getting tired himself, but because of people not paying attention to him. He always did hate that. He might as well talk to someone who would respond to the likes of him.

Down in the damp parts of the ship, where the wooden cells lied, was a prisoner who Donald or the Disney 80's League never saw. Kept under tight security and stuffed in a bag most of the time, this genius of a prisoner was given little freedom, as was his room mate. He used to be quite verbal about the mistreatment the villains treated him, but lately he had been quiet because he decided that all such complaints were useless. His creative mind had been broken down to a null, and right now he was rolling around in his cell like a miserable baby.

"How can such a thing happen to Ludwig Von Drake?" he moaned.

"Gawrsh, you've been moanin' a lot lately, professor!" blurted Goofy.

"Gah, you… you are a very oblivious person you!" snapped Von Drake, springing to his feet and giving Goofy an icy stare from his spectacles.

"Just ya wait, prof, Mickey will come and rescue us all!" said Goofy happily. "I know he will!"

"I prefer being referred to as "Professor" thank you very much," growled Von Drake. "Halt! Do I not hear a peg leg clomping toward us?"

The smart duck was correct, for Peg Leg Pete came into view grunting. Goofy, who took the whole ordeal as just an inconvenience, waved at his captor. Peg Leg Pete only shook his head and fixed his stare on Ludwig Von Drake.

"Alright, Von Drake, you're in need again!" said Peg Leg Pete. "My villains need to be charged up, so get outta there and do the job I force ya to do! Come on, make it quick!"

Reluctantly, Von Drake left the cell. Goofy tried to do the same, but Peg Leg Pete slammed the cell door on his face and made him roll all the way back to the wall with a thump. Spurred on, Von Drake waddled out on deck and into the salty sea breeze. His coat blowing in the wind, he looked around until he saw the hunched figure of Cruella De Vil slipping over a barrel. A normal person would have suspected a case of sea sickness, but Von Drake thought differently for one very unusual reason. He came to the woman and dealt a swift blow on her back.

There was a spark that jumped out, and she shook like a metal ragdoll. Her wild face, now as inanimate as a statue, snapped to full artificial attention. The frame of her cheeks hardened and her eyes became solid. With jolted movements, she folded her body upward and let her mouth hang.

"What is it, wretched master?" she asked like the robot she was.

"Don't refer to me as "wretched" will you?" said Von Drake. "You are not like the real Cruella! I need you to jumpstart the others for me, and do it quickly, because I have Peg Leg Pete breathing down my neck. Not that I'm insulting you, Captain."

_Clunk!_ The robotic Cruella stood at full height and stalked off to activate her metal counterparts. Peg Leg Pete had to laugh; it was so smart of him to force Von Drake to create replicas of Disney Villains so he could spoil some fun in the world of _The Black Cauldron_. There would have been no way the real ones would follow Pete to some little-known kingdom. Ever since he woke up from Horny's demise, he knew the movie was to blame. It was just his luck that Professor Von Drake was careless with the security of his laboratory, and Pete came in and held him captive until he was forced to make his robotic friends. He had went ahead and taken Goofy too, but he was just for easy pickings. Thinking of easy pickings made his stomach growl, so he decided to go to his private cabin and eat some food.

"Gotta go get me some grub," grumbled Peg Leg Pete. "Don't you be gettin' ideas, Prof."

"Hey, what did I… oh, enjoy your dinner!" stuttered Von Drake.

He would certainly enjoy it, but also the service too. He thought that keeping Eilonwy in a cage crying and pleading would be a dumb move, so he made her be a maid instead. Coming into his quarters, Pete sat himself at the table and put a kerchief around his fat neck. Not seeing the princess around, he made a frown.

"Oh, my sweet little dandelion, where are you?" he called. "You're generous buddy Peg Leg Pete wants his breakfast!"

She came out of the cabin, but far from a good mood. The look of perfect disappointment was on her face and she was wearing an apron that seemed to be too big for her size. Carrying a tray of doughnuts, she came to Peg Leg Pete, who was licking his chomps.

"Doughnuts, just what I wanted!" said Peg Leg Pete. "Did ya bring milk?"

"No, I suppose I can go and get some," replied Eilonwy, hardly enthusiastic.

"Thank ya so much!" said Peg Leg Pete. "You're a nice, pretty dandelion!"

"Ah, you think I'm a weed instead of a flower," said Eilonwy. "Well, I think you are a fat fungus among us! No, don't give me that look, sir. What insane act made you want to kidnap me and take me on a pirate ship off the coast of Prydain? I know you don't like _The Black Cauldron _but this is ridiculous! I would rather sit in a cage crying and pleading than be a maid to you. This apron is like a disease! But, I'll get you're milk, don't worry about that. Just be mindful that you don't eat too much and increase your bulk!"

Peg Leg Pete privately shook his fist behind her as she left, but he was just counting down the days when that princess would be sent packing, whether on the plank or somewhere else. He turned his gaze on the beach and stared at the shore lazily. That was when he suddenly came to attention at what he saw. Five white shapes were exploring the shore, and orange things stuck out of their mouths. He did not have to look harder to know who they were.

There they were, wandering on the sand and staring straight at his ship. Three of them were little, one was wearing a top hat, and the other was decked out in sailor garb. They were unmistakable as the look on his face when something he did not want happened.

Eilonwy had just carried out the milk jug when Peg Leg Pete stumbled by like something fierce. He slammed the cabin door open so hard that it broke a hinge and he bellowed out like a wounded dragon.

"Get yourselves ready, crew!" he roared. "Donald's here!"

Von Drake popped his head from behind an alerted Captain Hook robot and restrained himself from cheering. It was a pity that he had set up the villain robots, because they were going right to work. Roaming to their captain, Peg Leg Pete meant no silly business as he rapped out orders.

"Listen up, metal heads! If ya don't act quick, Donald's gonna get here and bust you all up! Get to the cannons right quick, and await my word! We'll get that duck off our back for good!"

…

Like an oncoming threat, Donald stared at the battleship intensely. The others noticed it too, but there was something about the sides that made them want to turn away. It was faint, but they could scarcely hear Peg Leg Pete's ordering in the breeze. Like a hawk watching them from a far-off tree, the ship stopped coasting. Then the hatches were battered down. Donald quickly became scared.

"Let's get outta of here!" he exclaimed.

_Boom! _The first shot blew up sand at the spot where the duck used to stand. They had become white targets for the battleship's newly installed cannons, and Peg Leg Pete smiled grimly at the miserable Von Drake as thanks for bringing them in against himself. Those three witches were surely helpful getting him such great weapons. The mechanical baddies stood beside each cannon like automatic buccaneers. Their metal eyes glowed red with intense focus on their enemies.

Back on shore, Donald was dismayed to see their ponies gallop away in perfect fright. Stranded on the perilous beach, they had nowhere to go now. Then a crazy idea whipped into Donald's head. He turned to the battleship. He did not come all this way for nothing. In fact, he needed to get on that battleship if he ever hoped to rescue Eilonwy. The nephews and Scrooge came huffing and puffing to his side, and he crouched lower to hear his plan.

"All right, we're outta his sight for now," muttered Donald. "I think we need to go over there and take over Pete's own ship! Aw, come on guys, don't look at me like that! I got out of the Horned King's castle, remember? If the Disney 80's League can get into that thing, I can!"

"Sure, Uncle Donald, if yer willin' to do it!" said Huey. "By the way, what's the Disney 80's League?"

"Never mind, we'll be blown to pieces if we just stay here!" squawked Donald. "Follow me!"

They tried to keep up as the determined Donald scoured the beach for any mode of transportation to the battleship. There were obviously no motor boats, ships, or boats in general around the place. One alternative Donald thought of was just escaping from the ship, but Peg Leg Pete was bound to come to land and capture them all the same. There was no other way; he had to board that battleship.

There was little room for error. He had to reach it somehow, but it was difficult when it was far out of reach. Maybe they could retreat into the woods? No, then the battleship would leave them and so would the chance of getting on it. Getting frustrated, Donald thought he was at a hopeless loss.

"Squeak, squeak!" cried a shrill voice.

A flying minion was roosting on the tree above Donald's head and swooped down. Latching its talons on his head, the duck yelled and grabbed wildly at his tormentor. Amongst all the confusion, his hands held onto the beast's talons and Louie grabbed Donald's feet to keep him from being picked up. Even with two ducks holding on, the insect-eyed creature still managed to rise a few feet in the air. The other two nephews grabbed on with Dewey holding Louie and Huey holding Dewey. On top of that, Scrooge held on to Huey and the weight became too much for the lone minion.

Its ugly mouth cracked open and let loose a piercing scream, and it was raised even more when a cannonball zoomed by and blew up a sand dune. Before long, all of its brethren shot up from the treetops of the woods and came to its rescue. But, instead of attacking the ducks, they circled around the single minion and latched their talons onto it. It clearly did not expect such a move, for it screeched in protest. However, the flock had other ideas.

"Lousy, rotten, noisy bird things!" yelled Donald. "Lemme go!"

With the combined strength of the flock, all of the gang was taken up into the air. From the battleship, Peg Leg Pete laughed so hard that his peg leg almost fell out. Von Drake was only hanging his jaw in amazement and horror at the same time.

"Wahahaha! Well, if it ain't my lucky day, Prof!" laughed Peg Leg Pete. "I wonder what it'd look like to send em' all scatterin' with one cannonball!"

Mechanical villains pointed their cannons at the mass of blackness in the yellow sky over the beach. Donald had a bad feeling Pete would try to do such a thing. Unless he acted quickly, he would be blown out into infinity, so he began to squawk and thrash about. The jumble in the mass of creatures shook harshly, and the first cannonball that sailed out of its cannon missed its target because of the jumbling. Huey, Dewey, and Louie were growing nervous about falling into the water below, where a shark might come up and eat them for all they know. With that thought in mind, they began thrashing about too, and Scrooge did the same not because of fear but agitation over what the nephews were trying to do.

Like a giant black balloon, the mass of the beaked animals came soaring close to the pirate ship. They were now too close for the robots to fire at, so all they could do was watch with mechanical mouths left open as they made a clash into the mast of their ship. They went everywhere, and the ducks were left clinging to the ropes of the mast. Peg Leg Pete, furious that he did not get the chance to see his rival blown up, clomped his way on deck.

"Get em' right now, you metal heads!" roared Pete.

The robots seemed angry too, for they were required by their robotic code to destroy anything their master told them to, and now they broke that code. Making disturbing growls of mechanical disappointment, they advanced on the mast and began climbing up, the Captain Hook one going forward the most. Donald quacked with fright and climbed higher, but was pulled down by Scrooge.

"Now's not the time to be getting away, Donald!" exclaimed Scrooge. "I'll fight them off with my cane."

_Whack! _The Hook robot got the first blow of Scrooge's cane, followed by Cruella and Jafar. The pesky Iago robot flew up to pester Huey, Dewey, and Louie, but Huey punched it away into the side of the mast, busting it. The sparks of the destroyed robot jumped down onto the deck, starting a faint lick of flame. Peg Leg Pete gasped, and smothered the flame quickly by stomping on it with his foot instead of his peg leg.

"You might as well go ahead and bust that thing up!" said Von Drake, who was coming out of the cabin door. "I don't want that evil thing being a part of my brand of robotics!"

"Why are you talking like that, ya silly ole professor?" yelled Pete. "Get back in there!"

"No, I don't think so, you silly ole pirate!" snapped Von Drake. "And this princess here agrees with me!"

Without warning, a pail of milk stuck out of the door and poured out of the cabin door, pouring milk down the deck. Pete slipped and fell down, causing his peg leg to pop off and reveal a fresh cartoon leg in its place. It turned out that Pete had been making up the story of the peg leg to intimidate Von Drake, who had been afraid of the Shady Side worms.

"Aha, see that?" said Von Drake. "Here you are, pretending to be a pirate when you're just a phony! I have to thank you for helping me reveal that, Princess Eilonwy."

"No problem, Professor," said Eilonwy, coming out of the cabin with her normal dress on and smiling gleefully. "Would you still like a donut, Pete?"

Pete almost turned red with the rage going through him, and he jumped right back up and growled like a lion provoked by a gang of vultures. With arms outstretched for his two former prisoners, Pete ran toward them until he fell down again, this time seeing the ducks coming down from the mast and busting all the rest of his beloved robots in the process. Just like that, he began to sense his days of annoying the world of _The Black Cauldron _slip away. Donald, flustered with the stress of the battle, glared down on him as Pete continued to lie on the milked floor.

"What do ya have to explain about yourself, Pete?" asked Donald.

"Come on, guys, I was just tryin' to have some fun, that's all!" muttered Pete, grinning uneasily.

"Humph, I suppose you were just trying to have fun by spoiling my kingdom!" replied Eilionwy. "Donald, may I have the honors?"

The other ducks were not sure what she meant by that, but Donald knew perfectly well, and he nodded his approval. Eilonwy had Donald take the defeated Pete to walk the plank. Once the disheartened cat was on the end it, Eilonwy began to say her message to the bully.

"I hereby banish you from the kingdom of Prydain," said Eillonwy. "Once you have swam your way to shore, you must vow to go straight to the border and cross it to go back to the place where you below. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, whatever," mumbled Pete.

"Then, have a good time!" exclaimed Eilonwy.

Scrooge rapped the plank with his cane, sending Pete into the ocean, where he swam away to shore with such humiliating feelings that he truly did feel as though he would never come back to this place again, and perhaps he ought to just dislike the movie from back home. Now with the ship to themselves, Donald decided that it should be used for good instead of evil, and the mechanical parts of the villains were left in the corner as scrap metal in case there was going to be any more purpose for it. On top of that, Goofy became a part of the crew.

"Ah, Donald, this is perhaps the most thankful moment I can possibly imagine right now!" said Von Drake, shaking Donald's hand firmly.

"Don't sweat it, Professor," said Donald. "Now I've just gotta figure out what to do next."

That was when the thought of the orbs began to swirl into his head, and all of a sudden he got the urge to find out the meaning to that. Eilonwy, who was content to finally not be a maid anymore, saw Donald come to her from on deck.

"Hey, do ya know anything about orbs, Eilonwy?" asked Donald.

"No I don't, Donald, unless you're talking about my magic bauble," replied Eilonwy. "Come here, my bauble!"

The glowing orb had been hiding in the ship ever since its master was captured by Pete, but it dutifully came to the princess at her call. Swooping around both their heads, the magical creature floated above the princess for a cue of whatever she wanted it to do next.

"First of all, I need you to clarify," said Eilonwy to Donald. "What were these orbs like?"

"Well, they were in a dream of mine the other day," muttered Donald. "I saw the Black Cauldron, and those orbs were floating all around it. Two of them disappeared, and there were a few left."

Eilonwy thought about Donald's strange dream, but could not figure out the exact meaning. The bauble shook itself as though it was shaking its head, concluding that it had no clue about Donald's dream either. Finally, Donald could tell that the princess and bauble were getting him nowhere and honed in his sights on Scrooge, who was staring at the ocean.

"Scrooge, I need ya for a moment!" snapped Donald.

"Whatever could it be now?" said Scrooge, slightly irritated at having been interrupted from his ocean view.

Donald explained his description of the orbs to him, and Scrooge thought about it for a minute. Eilonwy's bauble decided to float off and play with the nephews while the princess herself was thinking more about what Taran and Fflewddur were doing right now. She certainly hoped that they were doing all right; otherwise she would've felt bad for getting herself captured. Taran, knowing him, probably grew impatient and ran off to avenge Dallben. She was somewhat impressed that Donald had managed to get away from the enchanter to rescue her, for she also knew how protective he could be.

"Well, here's one small theory I might have," said Scrooge. "Those orbs might symbolize that you got two of them and you need to get the others. That's about as good of an explanation as you'll get from me, because I recall a dream I had where there were eight coins. I claimed four of them, but there were still four left. Did you get that?"

"Yeah, that's makes sense!" exclaimed Donald. "Now I've gotta figure out where the orbs might be!"

"I suggest we take this cursed ship back shore and head back to Caer Dallben," suggested Eilonwy. "Dallben must be worried sick about all of us!"

That idea seemed good enough for the group, and before long they took the sailing ship back to the shore where they docked it on the sand and they set foot into the forest. As the trail was set before them, they kept themselves in an orderly group so no one would be left behind or be open to attack.

"Huh, I bet that old guy's still thinking that I'm just sitting around in that cottage doing nothing and being bored!" mumbled Donald. "We'll give him a big surprise!"


End file.
